Permanent Detention
by ddp456
Summary: When one of Wendy's teachers purposely humilates her, she decides to even the score by breaking into school for a revenge prank. However, the redhead learns that she might have bitten off more than she could chew. Can Dipper help her out of this mess before its too late? Thanks to deadSNESproject88 for the cover artwork. Original prompt created by LA. Thanks again for any rev/favs
1. Chapter 1

"WOW! Oh, wow!"

Wendy Corduroy could only cross her arms and shake her head as her green eyes followed her young charge as he scampered around in amazement at the marvelous sights before him.

"Such a little dork…"

"Look at this!" Dipper Pines exclaimed excitedly as he turned back towards his crush, "You guys have a full-sized swimming pool?!" He ran across the hallway and stood on his tip-toes to peer into the next room. "And a metal shop, too?!"

She gave him a small grin as she scoffed, "Dude, don't get too worked up. It's only high school."

Today was the final day for registration for classes at Gravity Falls High. As usual, Wendy waited until the very last possible moment to select her courses for her sophomore year. Seeing as he didn't have anything better to do, she invited her friend, Dipper Pines, along for the journey. However, Wendy couldn't have imagined that the young boy would be so captivated by her alma mater.

"Are you kidding me?" Dipper went further, "All this stuff is great! Man, I wish we had this kind of stuff at my school…"

"Your school…?" Wendy stumbled with her words for a second, "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot how lame middle school could be." At times, the teenager would disregard that her buddy was three years younger than her. "Heck," she gave Dipper a quick love-tap flick on the side of his head, "I'm surprised you're not already in high school with that noggin of yours."

"Heh…" Dipper chuckled nervously as he started to turn a slight of red, "I'm not _that_ smart; besides, I couldn't leave Mabel behind…"

"Hmm, I guess not."

"Well, are you picking any of these classes this year?"

"Who, me?" Wendy seemed surprised by the question.

"Yeah, you! Who else?"

She shook her head, "No way, Dipper. I mean, they're cool and all, but I'm not really into the whole "school thing." Wendy finished her sentence as she made quotations with her fingers. "I do what I have to do here, and then, I head home. I try to stay here as little as I possibly can."

"So, kinda like work, right?" Dipper replied with a sly beam.

"Kinda; at least until you guys came around. Besides, what did you expect me to do – join the cheerleading squad or something?" The friends shared a few laughs as the brief image of the lanky girl in a skimpy cheerleader outfit flashed across Dipper's mind.

The duo walked side by side down the hallway as they made their way towards the center of the school. The site of the registration had been set in the cafeteria. They rounded the corner, passing the huge display of the school's mascot, a cartoonish beaver in a GFHS P.E. uniform, when they were surrounded by dozens of other high schoolers. The mass gathering of older teens spread out in every possible direction, as they mindlessly chattered amongst themselves.

Despite a slight hesitation, Dipper stayed step in step with Wendy as she continued onward. To the pre-teen, it seemed as if every type of clique acknowledged her presence in some way:

"Wen-dy!"

"Hey, girl!"

"Wenders! How's it hangin'?"

"There she is!" A voice called out from a group of jocks. "Hey Corduroy! You gonna try out for basketball this year? You're a natural, after all…"

"In your dreams!" Wendy teasingly shrugged off, "Like I'd be caught dead in that get-up! Besides, you do enough dribbling for the both of us!"

"OHH!"

"Sick burn!"

"We need some ice on that burn!"

As Wendy and Dipper walked away from the scene, he asked in a sense of disbelief, "You really know all those people?" He knew that his main squeeze definitely had charisma (judging by the motley crew that followed her around town), but couldn't imagine that it reached so much beyond that.

"Not exactly "know," she explained. "Like, we'll see each other in between classes and stuff, but hey, I'm sure you know what that's like from back home, right?" Wendy looked down to see that Dipper simply stared into the distance with a disheartened expression.

"Oh…Well, hey! Give it time, and it'll come. I'm sure of it," Wendy said, remembering her own personal hardships.

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then if it doesn't," she lovingly punched his shoulder, "You know that you'll always have me here, right?"

Dipper looked up towards her, and much to Wendy's relief, his smile quickly returned. They entered the cafeteria's opened doors, only for the cashier to exclaim out loud, "Oh, man! Look at this line!"

A barrage of teenagers stretched around the numerous tables set up for registration. Judging by the overall size, the partners in crime were going to spend their entire afternoon in line.

"Well, what did you expect?" Dipper asked, "It is the last day, after all…" A hardened look from Wendy reminded him to keep his commentary to himself. Without a second thought, she reached over the first table, picked up a registration sheet, and hastily began to fill it out with a nearby pen.

"Let's see…let's see," the lumberjack princess talked herself through the sign-up process. "Name – Gwendolyn Corduroy…" She saw out of the corner of her eye that Dipper was starting to chuckle. Without taking her eyes off of her paper, Wendy pointed the pen in his direction and warned him, "Don't start!"

As Dipper's laughter dried up, his friend returned to the task at hand. "Grade – 10th. Subjects…umm…English 2, Algebra 2…huh…"

Wendy turned her head, "Dipper, if you had to pick a foreign language, would you do Spanish or French?"

"Hmm…" his face twisted as he thought about her question. "Why not Spanish? That way, you and Soos could have like a secret language between you guys. It would drive Grunkle Stan nuts!"

"Dude," Wendy said, "Just because Soos is Latino doesn't mean he automatically knows the language."

"Good point," Dipper agreed as he watched as Wendy went on with completing the form in her hands.

"Okay…P.E….I want before lunch, so I don't make myself sick…"

The mere mention of lunch made Dipper's stomach rumble. He looked around his surroundings, amazed by the set-up of the fully stocked cafeteria. The hungry child could spot separate lines for sandwiches and soup, hot lunches, and even a fountain soda machine on tap, and yet, the irony of having the entire complex closed at the moment wasn't lost on him.

"You guys have quite a spread here, huh?"

"What?" Wendy looked up to see what Dipper was referring to. "Oh, you betcha, buddy. That's why lunch is my favorite subject!"

They snickered in unison as she went back to her paperwork. Waiting patiently, Dipper began to glance around the room in boredom until he noticed something eerie on the other side of the room. A tall, slender man stood by one of the tables on the opposite end. Dressed in a navy blue dress shirt tucked into black slacks, the older male fumbled with his onyx tie as his dark eyes narrowed directly at the boy staring straight at him. After a moment, the thinning-brown-haired stranger broke eye-contact and walked away to the right; his loafers not as much as made a squeak as he passed.

A shiver rushed down Dipper's spine. "Uh, Wendy? Who was that creepy…?"

Without warning, she pulled the tiny detective forward. "C'mon, Dipper!" Wendy said, ignoring his worry, "We're going to lose our place in line!"

At the next table, Dipper saw a series of computers and printers stationed on the front end. A closed off curtained area with an oversized camera was parked behind it. Wendy handed her paperwork to a middle woman with glasses sitting on the other side.

"Here we are…" the worker speedily read through Wendy's sheet, "Since everything seems to be in order here, Gwen – "

"Wendy - if you wouldn't mind…" the ginger objected.

"Of course not. _Wendy_ , then. Please step around so we can take your picture for your school ID."

Wendy removed the brown trapper hat from her head and tossed it into Dipper's chest, "Guard it with your life, short stuff." With a teasing wink, the plucky teen followed the assistant behind the curtain and sat down. As he waited patiently, Dipper kept a constant lookout for the odd figure that made his flesh crawl moments before.

*FLASH!*

A bright light flashed throughout the cafeteria. A temporarily dazed Wendy stumbled out from behind the curtain as she rejoined Dipper on the other end of the table as she snatched her cap back. The volunteer typed a few commands into her keyboard connected to the console. After a few moments, the printer nosily sprung to life, producing a tiny piece of plastic two minutes later.

"Here you go, Gwen – err – Wendy," the woman handed the ID to the redhead. "Head to that very last table for your books, and we'll see you at the start of class."

"Thanks…"

As Dipper and Wendy headed towards the last table, he tried his best to make out the imagery in her hand.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Wendy asked.

"Aren't you going to let me see your ID?"

"WHAT?!" Wendy held the card closer to her chest, "No way, dude! It's like an unspoken rule! You can't see these things! The pictures are always soooo embarrassing!"

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Dipper argued. "You couldn't look any different than you did five minutes ago, so what difference does it make?"

Wendy stayed rooted in her case, "Don't try to trip me up with your logic mumbo-jumbo, bookworm. It ain't happening…"

Dipper tried to lean to the right to get a better look, "Oh, come on…"

Wendy moved the card to the left side of her body as she giggled, "I said no, mister!"

He hopped back around, "Just a peek?"

She pulled away at the last second, "No way!"

The two went back and forth as they arrived at the final table. Wendy's eyes lit up as an idea came to mind. She took the ID in one hand and held it up over her head, well out of Dipper's range. He tried to jump up for it, having the prize raised higher after every leap.

"That's not fair!" Dipper waved his arms wildly as struggled to reach the ID. "You're cheating!"

"Ah, isn't that too bad?" Wendy turned back around, "Maybe now, you - *GASP!*

Dipper flew to her side, wanting to find out what had just happened. Sure enough, Wendy found herself face-to-face with the strange man that had spied on them from afar.

"Did I scare you, Corduroy?" he asked in a stern, yet nasally voice.

Wendy let out a sigh, "Not anymore than usual, Cabkin…"

"That's _Mr._ Cabkin to you, young lady!" The adult corrected. "Perhaps you can show a bit of manners and dignity for once in your wasteful life?"

Despite the man shouting directly at her, Wendy was able to retain her cool, "Whatever you say, _Cabkin_ …"

He was not impressed by her sarcastic response. "Well, here we are, waiting for the very last minute to register for classes. How very much, like you, Corduroy…"

"I aim to please…"

Dipper could notice that the color was rising to the stranger's unusually pale complexion.

"Let me tell you – " Cabkin stopped in the middle of his sentence as his brown eyes caught hold of the pint-sized youth in front of him, "And just who might you be?"

Dipper offered a respectful open hand towards the man, "I'm Dipper Pines, sir. Wendy and I – "

" _A child?!_ " The man's eyes bulged at the sight, "You're in cahoots with mere children now?!" He looked back at Wendy, "What's the matter, Corduroy? The usual riff-raff became too boring for you? Have you sunk to a new low to involve innocent children in your hi-jinks?"

"He's not just – " Closing her eyes, Wendy held a hand up to her forehead, figuring it would be easier to explain everything. "Dipper, this is Mr. Cabkin – my homeroom teacher."

"That's right," the educator agreed, "And ever since I've made the acquaintance of Miss Corduroy last year, my life has been nothing but complete misery and agitation. If it's not putting up with her devil-may-care attitude, it's standing all of the immature pranks she plays throughout these hallowed halls."

Wendy gave a sheepish look as Dipper came to her defense, "Oh, Wendy can't be that bad…"

"Oh?" The man lowered his brow further.

"Well, yeah." Dipper elaborated further, "I mean, she's the best! Whenever we hang out, she makes everything fun and exciting. And if I'm ever in trouble, she's the first to try to get me out of it! She's unlike anybody I've ever met before…"

Unbeknown to her admirer, Wendy looked over him with a sense of pride as a small smile appeared across her freckled visage – something her teacher noticed.

"Is that a fact?" Mr. Cabkin turned his head towards Wendy and let out a sardonic laugh, "What kind of hogwash are you feeding this kid, Corduroy?"

Sensing that something was amiss, Wendy reached out towards Dipper, "It's getting late, Dip. We really ought to get going…"

"Just a moment…" Mr. Cabkin stepped in front of Wendy, completely blocking her off from Dipper's perspective.

"Hey – "

"Let me tell you something, son." The elder lowered himself to Dipper's level, almost hypnotizing him with his ominous gaze, "You see that girl over there, and you think to yourself that she's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Well, you're wrong, my boy; dead wrong!"

"Wait, don't –" Wendy's protests went unheard by both males, as Dipper's attention was focused on the man lecturing him.

"I have been doing this for a long time, and believe me when I say that people like Wendy Corduroy are _anything but special_. They're a dime a dozen!"

Wendy tried to go around the figure in order to try to pull Dipper away, finding herself blocked at every angle.

"But – " Dipper tried to argue for his sweetheart's reputation.

"But nothing! I have seen the same story over and over again: a charismatic young girl who thinks that she has the world by the short hairs, and contributes nothing to society. A person without any ambition for a better life, and worse of all, isn't above dragging others down with them."

"Now, hang on – "

Mr. Cabkin cut Wendy off again, "Do you honestly think that when it comes down to it, that she would put _you_ over her own selfish endeavors? It's honestly a miracle that she hasn't been tossed in juvenile hall yet alone, have you go along for the ride.

"You can't say that to – " Wendy's voice grew louder; her cheeks reddened as she grew more unnerved.

"I can promise you one thing: if you insist on following that girl, nipping along at her heels, there is one set path for you – "

"Leave him alo –"

"You'll end up the exact same way as your young friend over there…"

"Stop it!"

" _A pathetic loser! A wretched waste of life destined to spend the rest of her days drunkenly wandering in and out of populated areas, begging for loose change!_ "

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Wendy met the agitator eye-to-eye, realizing a second too late that the damage had already been done. All attention in the room, rather it be student or faculty, was now solely focused on the leggy teenager shrieking to the top of her lungs. The cafeteria grew deathly silent, save for a few laughs and whispers heard at random.

"Oh…man…"

Her brown hat dipped over her eyes, partially hiding away the extreme amount of embarrassment that surrounded her. The teacher's lips curled into a sinister grin as he enjoyed the outcome presented. From out of nowhere, Wendy noticed something gently grasp her wrist. She looked downward to see a sympathetic Dipper Pines staring up at her with large brown eyes.

"Wendy…let's just go…"

She raised her sights to Mr. Cabkin and back towards Dipper. Without saying another word, the fifteen-year-old collected her schoolbooks from the table and walked along with her friend past her homeroom teacher and towards the exit of the cafeteria.

Mr. Cabkin gazed over his shoulder and snidely said, "See you in class, Corduroy," making the young woman freeze in her tracks for a split second, before being led away by Dipper. The path in front of her seemed like a disoriented blur as Wendy felt that every pair of passing teenaged eyes were following her.

Just as they passed the last hallway leading towards the school's exit, an odd chill flowed through Dipper's soul. Confused by the sensation, he turned around to see a snow-white-skinned, yet almost transparent young girl peeking out from behind a corner with a distressed look on her face. He blinked for a second, only to see that the mysterious figure had vanished from sight.

"Dipper?" Wendy noticed that her companion's attention was elsewhere.

He shook his head clear, "It's nothing. I…I thought I saw something, but I guess not…"

* * *

The bike ride back to the Mystery Shack was a quiet one. Not one word had been spoken between the two adolescents. Nestled snuggly between the handlebars of her bike, Dipper would occasionally steal peeks at Wendy, who simply stared out into the distance without as much as blinking once. A sense of frustration and outrage could be found clouding her being, as she seemed lost in her thoughts, relying on her instincts to guide them back home.

Wendy gently came to a stop, allowing Dipper to hop off of his spot. As soon as he landed on the ground, she started to backpedal and turn back towards the woods.

"I'll see you later. Okay, Dip?"

Just before she was about to ride away, Wendy could feel a small hand being placed against her shoulder blade.

"Wait…"

She turned around to see Dipper nervously looking at the ground as he mindlessly poked his fingers together, "Look, I know…it might not mean much coming from me, but…" He raised his head, "Don't listen to what that jerk was saying; he doesn't know what he's talking about." The nervous itchiness came back as he involuntarily scratched his side, "And I meant what I said: to me, _you are the best_ , _and no one will ever change my mind on that!_ "

Wendy went to speak, only to find herself choked up. She turned away from her pal, hoping that he wouldn't see the moisture building in her green eyes.

"I know, Dipper. I appreciate that; I really, really do…"

She started to head for home, as Dipper called out again, "Hang a sec! You're still coming over tonight, right? They're going to have a bad-monster-movie marathon on later!"

Without stopping, Wendy shouted over her shoulder, "I wouldn't miss it for the world! Just keep that seat warm for me, alright?"

As soon as Dipper was out of view, she looked back ahead. The forced, cheered-up expression she presented to reassure her worried co-worker had regressed, replaced with one of pure resentment and indignation.

"…just as soon as I make a pit stop first…"

* * *

Later that night, Wendy crept into the back side of the Mystery Shack. Setting her bike against the back wall, the ginger tip-toed to the entrance of the Gift Shop and jiggled the handle. Luckily, the door hasn't been locked, despite the souvenir stand being closed for the night. She also made sure that the security cameras had been "accidentally" turned off earlier that day to avoid having any incriminating evidence recorded on film.

Making her way through the darkness, Wendy ducked behind her counter and sorted through the supply cabinet below. She had learned from her previous mistakes. The downfall of living in such a small, tightly-knitted town was that news traveled fast, meaning that the local stores knew better than to sell large amounts of certain "supplies" to the spirited teen, considering her roguish past.

For this, Wendy had to settle for "borrowing" gear from the Mystery Shack's inventory. She knew that as time passed, she would have to replace the taken goods to avoid having suspicion arise. Using a large burlap sack, the girl loaded the bag with countless rolls of toilet paper, bars of soap, a dented, expired can of shaving cream, and even a tiny container filled with thumb tacks.

As soon as she was ready to go, Wendy gradually stood back up, only to be startled by a shrill voice from behind her:

"Whatcha doing?"

"EEP!"

Out of pure reflex, Wendy tossed the bag up into the air, catching it before it hit the ground. Some of her inventory crashed into the old wooden floor. She spun around to see Dipper's twin sister, Mabel, standing in the doorway leading into the Pines' front room. The brief ray of light shed some truth on Wendy's true intentions, forcing her to hide the carrier behind her back.

"Uh…hey, there, Mabel," Wendy tensely greeted, "W-What are you up to?"

The brunette pointed back into the room from whence she came, "Just watching TV with Waddles…"

"And Dipper?"

"Nah. He's upstairs, with his nose in a book like the big ol' dork he is." Mabel narrowed her eyes, "But the real question is what are you doing?"

"Me?!" Wendy tried to come up with a reasonable excuse. "I just…forgot a few things here. No biggie…"

"Really?" Mabel twisted and turned to get a better look, "Well, I saw you "forgot" a bunch of T.P. and even some shaving cream…" She placed her tiny hands on her sweater covered hips, "So, tell me – who's getting pranked?"

"Pranked?!" Wendy's eyes widened, "Who – Who said anything about pranking?"

"Uh-huh. And I guess this has nothing to do with what happened at the school today, right?"

"Wait! Dipper told you?!"

"Well, yeah," Mabel held up her palms, trying to calm her friend, "He was really worried about you…"

Wendy turned back around and collected the fallen items from the floor, "Well, he shouldn't be. I'm taking care of things."

"So I see," Mabel said. "But let me ask you something: are you going to get even with this guy because he said all those awful things about you, or _because he did it in front of Dipper?_ "

Without saying another word, Wendy knelt down in front of the pre-teen with a serious look in her eyes, "Mabel, you can't tell him where I'm going. The last thing I need on my conscience is knowing that Dipper is going out of his gorge over me."

"But then why even do this? Dipper thinks you're the most awesome thing since peanut butter met jelly, so why does it even matter?"

"Because it does, okay?!" Wendy let out a sigh and placed her hands on Mabel's shoulders. "Mabes, please, you gotta swear to me that you won't say anything to Dipper…"

"But, I don't – "

"Mabel, promise me!"

The cornered metal-mouthed pixie broke eye-contact, "I – I promise…"

"Thanks, Mabel. I knew I can count on you." Wendy rose to her feet and headed towards the door, "I'll be back before you know it." Before closing it behind her, she stuck her head back through, "And remember…" She made a zipping motion over her lips before throwing away an invisible key.

Mabel sadly nodded her head in agreement as Wendy shut the door behind her. The minuscule girl stood in deep thought in the empty room, wondering to herself if she had made the right choice in keeping the secret.

* * *

Wendy arrived at the school just as dusk had set in. Due to the heavy outcast blanketing the mountain town, not a single star could be seen in the night sky. A heavy, yet cold breeze flowed through the atmosphere, blowing the branches of the neighboring trees back deep gust after gust.

The redhead removed her helmet and chained her bicycle to a nearby tree trunk. Carrying her container of equipment, she bent down in front of the main entrance and reached into her trapper hat, pulling out a bobby pin. Wendy closed an eye, slightly sticking out her tongue as she tried to pick the lock open.

*CLICK!*

The double doors parted away, opening ever so slightly. Wendy prowled through the opening and carefully shut it tightly. Using the limited light given by the moon through the numerous windows, the invading cashier made her way to the stairwell leading to the second floor.

As if by magic, a coil of iron-cast chains placed in the opposite corner of the hall started to vibrate of their own accord. The linkage slithered across the linoleum flooring and up the wall, wrapping around the handles of the double doors. A padlock trailed on the final link, coming to life and snapping itself shut between the two parts.

*CLICK!*

Wendy peeked back down the hallway, curious to what had made that echoing sound. Unable to see any form of commotion, she flew up the stairs towards Mr. Cabkin's classroom, left totally unaware that her only escape to the outside world was now completely sealed off…

* * *

Once inside of her homeroom, Wendy let the burlap sack slide down from over her shoulder. A wicked smirk stretched across her dimpled face as her mind raced at the endless possibilities of revenge. With playful glee, she reached into her supply bag and pulled out a roll of toilet paper for each hand. Wendy hurled the tissue through the air until the entire room was blanketed. Several streams of white hung down from the lights hanging overhead as she made sure to cover every article of furniture in the room, from cabinets to tables and chairs, to Cabkin's own desk.

After a while, Wendy decided to switch weapons, as the merriment faded away from her mind. Slowly, but surely, the memory of the day's events clouded her thoughts, replacing her beam with a stern and firm frown. She pulled out the can of shaving cream as Mr. Cabkin's words echoed in her sub consciousness:

" _A pathetic loser! A wretched waste of life destined to spend the rest of her days drunkenly wandering in and out of populated areas, begging for loose change!_ "

Wendy threw each of the desk's drawers open and filled them to the brim with the fluffy substance before slamming them shut. She cupped an empty palm full of the soft foam and started to wipe smears against every spot on the adjacent blackboard, eventually turning it a messy white.

 _The image of all her classmates and friends laughing and whispering about her flashed in her eyes._

Wendy opened the casing filled with tacks and headed towards Mr. Cabkin's personal chair. She pulled the seat cushions back as much as she could without tearing its stitches and inserted as many pins as the spacing would hold. Dozens of sharpened tips poked out of the back and bottom coverings, waiting to stab whoever would be foolish enough to rest their keister in that chair.

 _The thought of seeing Mr. Cabkin smile at getting the best of her furthered her ire_ , as Wendy chose a bar of greenish-blue soap. She created a lather by using a nearby spray bottle. The girl set it back down on the desk as she hurried to each of the room's windows, soaping every single one to the point where one could no longer see out of them, save with the green-covered streaks going in a circular motion.

As Wendy went from window to window, an invisible force shook Mr. Cabkin's desk. The vibration made a small jar of rubber cement teeter over the edge before landing on the ground. She paused for a moment, looking around for the source of the thud. Chalking it up to her imagination, Wendy moved on to her next target: a miniature, stand-alone mirror mounted on the other side of the room, recalling all of the times that the teacher had examined his worn, middle-aged looks in it.

She looked into the mirror, finding her own livid complexion before seeing what truly lied deep inside of her. _Wendy could make out the disappointment and humiliation on Dipper's face as he was badgered by her homeroom teacher, making her heart drop for a second time._

The bottle rolled on its own in Wendy's direction, eventually colliding against one of her heels. The cap popped open, emptying its adhesive contents beneath the soles of her boots without her noticing in the slightest.

Wendy blinked several times, hoping to rid herself of the horrid sight; of how one of her worst enemies used Dipper – _an innocent person who had nothing to do with their conflict_ – as a mere tool for petty vengeance.

Her sadness was again replaced by wrath. She shook her head clear and resumed soaping the mirror. An ice cold chill suddenly filled the classroom. Wendy shivered, despite having her long-sleeved green flannel on.

"Brr…" Wendy's teeth began to chatter as she rubbed her shoulders for warmth, "What gives? Is the A.C. on the fritz or something?"

All of a sudden, the quiet classroom had sprung to life! The T.P. covered desks in front of her noisily bobbed up and down in place. The windows and exit doors opened and shut repeatedly, making sure to slam against their fixtures as loud as possible. The lights flickered on and off crazily without any pattern or sequence.

Wendy's mouth dropped as absolute terror overcame her. She had seen this happen before…

"It's…just like what happened at the convenience store!" Wendy let the bar of soap slip from her fingers as she plotted a quick escape. "I gotta get out of here!" She went to run towards the door, discovering that her feet were now fused to the floor.

"Huh?!" Wendy leaned over and tugged on an oversized wader with both hands, trying to pry herself free. She was barely able to lift the shoe from the ground, as sticky stands forced it back down with a sickening squish.

"No!" Wendy thrashed both legs tirelessly as she attempted to break loose of the grip holding her feet captive. "Let go! Let me go!" She stopped as a cringing, squeaking sound filled the air. Wendy looked up to see that the mirror that she had just soaped-up had a thin layer of frost covering it. An unseen entity began to draw out a handwritten message in the lean ice.

"C – C – CAU…" Wendy read aloud as more letters appeared one after another.

On the other side of the room, a long, yet sturdy yard-stick set on the edge of the blackboard started to rattle wildly.

The note came to an end, as it was signed off on with several exclamation points. Goosebumps traveled down Wendy's freckled skin as she read the finished memo:

"CAUGHT YOU!"

She turned around, just as the yard-stick flew off of its ledge towards her. The blunt object struck Wendy square in the forehead, literally knocking the young adult out of her glued-down boots. Landing on her back with a loud thud, her vision started to fade out as the throbbing pain soon became a numbing sensation that spread from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

As Wendy's world turned to pitch black, she could make out a shimmering blue shape standing over her. A menacing chuckle followed her into the depths of unconsciousness…


	2. Chapter 2

The night sky was completely covered by a thick overcast, leaving the vast Oregon woodland in total darkness. The only source of light came from a small, dilapidated cabin in the center of the forest. Inside of the humble abode, a small tween nervously awaited the arrival of his main squeeze.

As promised, Dipper had made good on his word. He was positioned in his great-uncle's worn-out recliner, making their usually shared seat during Movie Night warm and cozy. Every couple of moments, he would repeat the process of double-checking the time on his wristwatch and staring at the rickety front door, hoping that Wendy would walk through it any second now.

"Where is she…?" The first movie had already started fifteen minutes ago. He wondered if the flannel-donned girl had changed her mind about coming over, especially after what had happened at her school today. He wouldn't have blamed her, but at the same time, the unknown silence troubled his mind.

"If that was the case," Dipper thought to himself, "Why didn't she let me know?"

An uneasy feeling had followed him since he came back home from Gravity Falls High. However, Dipper couldn't decide if it was because of the menacing teacher that had managed to get beneath Wendy's skin or the peculiar high-school girl peeking at him before he left the building.

Shaking the willies away, Dipper reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly tapped another quick text message to his missing redheaded friend before leaving it out on the chair's arm within easy reach. Dipper sighed and rested his head on his hand as he returned his attention to the B-horror movie playing out on the television screen before him.

His twin sister, Mabel, looked down at him from the neighboring staircase, well aware of her sibling's growing worry. She, too, glanced at the door, hoping that her co-worker would stay true to her pledge.

"C'mon, Wendy…you said you would be right back…"

* * *

*BUZZ-BUZZ* *BUZZ-BUZZ*

"Ugh…" Wendy's emerald eyes flickered as she attempted to regain focus. "W-Where am I?" The fifteen-year-old found herself in an empty, darkened classroom. Her surroundings instantly triggered her memory, reminding the ginger of why she was in Gravity Falls High after hours.

Strangely enough, all the damage that she had caused to her homeroom had vanished. Every trace of toilet paper, dried soap, and foamy shaving cream disappeared from the scene. Wendy was surprised to see that Mr. Cabkin's class was now spotless in spite of her best efforts.

Finding herself seated on a padded office chair, the teenager could only re-examine her cleansed surroundings in disbelief as feeling gradually returned to her body, "What happened? Was I dreaming?"

Wendy looked to her left as the truth quickly revealed itself. A pair of mud-stained lumberjack boots stood stuck firmly to the tilted floor. The odd sight made her mouth drop in terror, as she soon recalled the final horrifying seconds before unconsciousness.

"I gotta book! NOW!"

The girl tried to stand up, finding that her limbs were held down tightly. "What the –?"

Her arms had been pulled behind her back and pass the upholstery, being bound together at the wrists. Wendy felt around with her fingertips to discover that something made of ice-cold metal was clutched around her hands.

 _"Handcuffs?"_

The young woman was no stranger to the uncomfortable sensation, given her occasional run-ins with the law. Unfortunately, she discovered that these cuffs were indeed the real deal, as there was no safety release to be found.

She tried once more to rise up, hoping to bring her arms back around, discovering that her legs had been given the same treatment. Locked into what she guessed to be leg irons, each one of Wendy's feet had been placed over a different side of the back end of the five-star base. With the connecting chain wrapped snugly about the lift of the chair, she was unable to lift or lower a ped to the floor. The cool draft that swirled around the room swept against her exposed orange and yellow socked foot bottoms.

*BUZZ-BUZZ* *BUZZ-BUZZ*

Wendy turned towards the sight that had awakened her from her forced slumber. Her tiny flip cell phone had been placed on Mr. Cabkin's desk. The blue LED screen flashed over and over in the darkness:

" **DIPPER - Where r u?** "

Seeing a chance at escape, Wendy strained herself, testing the limits of her restraints in hopes of making the chair roll over towards her professor's desk. The seat refused to budge an inch. The locking mechanism preventing the wheels from moving had been lowered. The lanky girl shifted her left side in hopes of being able to reach the release lever with her index finger, finding that she came up short by mere inches.

Annoyed by the constant defeat, Wendy attempted to shuffle her hands and feet, hoping to find a way to slip out of her predicament. She closed her eyes and tugged as hard as she could, relenting a minute later to relieve the growing, pinching pains in her wrists and ankles. The idea of picking the cuffs had come to mind; the fact that her lock pick was safely tucked out of reach inside of her trapper hat quickly diffused that plan.

"Ergh!" Wendy moaned as she slumped down in the chair in exhaustion. "I can't believe this!" Her mind drew a blank as she tried to figure out how she could have ended up in such a dilemma. "I mean, who would even bring _real_ handcuffs to a school?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," a familiar voice answered from the shadows, prompting Wendy to raise her head. "The things that we confiscate from the students here would probably even shock the likes of you…"

Mr. Cabkin crept out from the darkness with his arms neatly tucked behind him. An unnatural blue azure seemed to follow his every move. His wrinkled, middle-aged face still sporting the same sinister smile he had gave his student after embarrassing her in front of the entire school assembly (as well as her younger charge). He simply stood before his now-helpless pupil and awaited her reaction.

 _"You…did this?!"_ Wendy lounged forward as much as her chains would allow as she shouted angrily, "Just who do you think you are?! You can't – "

The man stepped forward bit by bit as he finished her sentence, "You can't do this to me! Just wait until my parents find out! You're going to get in so much trouble! " Mr. Cabkin threw his head back and laughed, "Oh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that, and yet, nothing ever comes of it!"

Wendy instantly grew deathly silent. Something about her nemesis didn't seem right. She had never seen this side of Cabkin before. The last line he uttered alerted Wendy to the fact that she wasn't the first student that he had abducted.

"W-What…" she accidentally stuttered, as the reality of the situation caught up to her, "What are you going to do to me?" She immediately gazed down towards the ground as her wild imagination, fueled by the outrageous stories one hears on the national news, jumped to the worst case scenario.

"Oh, please!" He appeared to be offended, "Don't flatter yourself, kid!" He stepped up towards Wendy, making her meet him eye-to-eye. "And besides…" The elder threw his hands through Wendy's shoulder blades, making her gasp out loud. "I couldn't do anything to you even if I wanted to!"

"Oh no!" Wendy thought, remembering her ghostly experiences at the haunted Dusk2Dawn convenience store, "Not again!"

The adult raised an eyebrow at Wendy's response, "I can only imagine that you must have several questions, so I'll try to explain." The specter sat on top of his desk, "Despite what you think about me, Corduroy, I actually love teaching…"

Wendy rolled her eyes and heaved loudly; even in this most dire of circumstances, she was forced to listen to the senior as he mindlessly droned on and on, as if it was a regular school day.

Mr. Cabkin raised his voice as he grew infuriated, "I adore it so much, with my entire heart and soul, that after my sudden passing, I found that my spirit had become forever linked to this school. My own colleagues don't even realize that I am undead! How could they, considering that I've never missed a class in nearly thirty years! Yet, I wouldn't have it any other way. Nothing is more satisfying that watching my students surpass the standards I have set forth, going on to lead successful lives…"

He stood up and walked around his immobile hostage, "But as with anything good in this universe, there also comes a price. With every group of students that wishes to excel at their studies, there exists a select few that want nothing more than to goof off and utterly waste my time…"

Cabkin stopped, "And that's where you come in, Corduroy…"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

He met her nose to nose, "Since you have first set foot through that door last year, you have been nothing but a constant blight on my school! You disrupt class without any regard or respect for authority! And worse of all, you aren't above bringing others down to your level! Just ask the group of degenerates that you choose to align yourself with!"

The teacher pulled away as he narrowed his eyes, "And I believe in redemption, Corduroy. A part of me reluctantly hopes that every lost sheep will eventually find their way in this long road in life. However, the regretful truth is that some are beyond saving. There are always unruly punks who think they own the world – getting away with bloody murder without having to pay the price for their crimes."

He sauntered back into the distance, pausing to look over his shoulder at her, "And to be frank, Corduroy, despite our differences, I never considered you to be one of those unfortunate souls; that is, until what happened here tonight…" Mr. Cabkin rushed towards Wendy, "With your attack on my class, you only assured me that you belong with those willing to cross a personal line -"

"I crossed a personal line?!" Wendy interrupted in outrage, "You're the one that started with – "

"Inexcusable! No matter what justification you could muster up would change the fact that for you, my dear Miss Corduroy, is that there is no going back from this point…"

"Point?! What point?! What about you talking about?!"

"What I mean, Corduroy… _Wendy_ …" The ominous grin returned, "…is that I welcome you to permanent detention. I hoped you enjoyed your last instances of freedom, for I promise you, it will be an _eternity_ before you get another…"

* * *

Another hour had passed and Mabel Pines tip-toed down the stairs to see the current state of her twin. Expecting Dipper to still be seated in their Grunkle Stan's recliner, she jumped at the sight of the overly-concerned detective now stationed in front of the window next to the family entrance. Stumped over the back side of an old wooden chair, Dipper rested his chin on folded noodle arms as his eyes kept a constant vigil over the horizon leading into the dark forest, desperate for any sign of his absent crush.

Mabel scratched a guilty itch growing on her left elbow. She could sense that something had gone wrong with her friend's plans, but kept in mind the promise that she had been compelled to make earlier in the evening. However, she headed down the staircase to check in with her brother, who continued to wait at the door like a lovesick puppy.

"Hey Bro-Bro," she greeted, making sure to play dumb, "No word from Wendy yet?"

Without taking his eyes off the trained path, Dipper shook his head back and forth, "No…no text message back…every call to her cell instantly goes to voice mail, and no one is picking up at her house…" He turned around to face his sibling, "Something's wrong, Mabel…I just know it…"

"Oh, relax…" Mabel waved away his worry with her tiny hand, her voice involuntarily rising in octave, "T-This is Wendy we're talking about here. She – She can take care of herself. I'm sure she'll have a good reason for being so late."

"I know, I know," Dipper admitted, "But you didn't see her today, Mabel; after that creepy teacher went after her - I – I never seen Wendy so angry before. Ever since we left that school, I just…" He turned back around and lowered his head, "…I just have this horrible feeling that I can't shake off."

She placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, "Hey, she'll be here, okay? After all, Wendy swore to _us_ – " Mabel froze up as Dipper spun around, noticing her slip of the tongue. " _You!_ I mean, Wendy told you that she would be back, right?!" The braced pixie let out a series of anxious laughs as she rubbed the back of her long brown hair.

"Mabel," Dipper rose to his feet, "What's going on?"

"Going on?!" Her tone grew higher, "Nothing's going on! I mean, if something's going on, why would I know? Like Wendy would tell me anything important. HA! After all, you two are the ones that are so close, am I right? So, if you don't know where Wendy is, how am I supposed to?" Mabel continued to offer fake chuckles as she backpedaled towards the upstairs exit. "I – I have to go now…and sow an adorable sweater for Waddles…" The twelve year old ran up the steps towards her shared room.

"Mabel, wait!" Dipper called out as he heard their bedroom door slam loudly. He paused in giving chase, wondering about how to best confront his twin about her questionable behavior…

* * *

"Permanent detention?" Wendy asked, "What's that? Some kind of in-school suspension deal?"

"Not quite…" Mr. Cabkin started to explain, as he went back to his constant pacing, "Tell me something, Corduroy: I want you to think about the worst students you have ever come across while at this school – children whose arrogance and crazed stunts rival or even surpasses your own. Don't you find it odd that one day, they simply vanish into thin air without a trace?"

She shrugged her shoulders, in spite of her handcuffed arms, "Hmm…I just thought they were expelled or something like that?"

Cabkin nodded his head, "Yes…something like that, or so they wished…" He looked ahead, "Like you, they all went beyond the edge of common decency, and therefore, had to be punished. You see, Corduroy, this school is infused with an energy of its very own. Therefore, when I catch one of these ruffians in a heinous act, I incarcerate them until Gravity Falls High eats away at their souls, becoming one with the school itself!"

"You…" Wendy said with a sense of doubt, "You can't be serious!"

"But I'm afraid I am." Mr. Cabkin stated. "And soon enough, you will be joining the ranks of those sentenced to permanent detention, where by day, you'll be rendered invisible to the human eye as the rest of the world passes you by. At night, you'll be endlessly tormented in an everlasting loop forever!"

The enraged ginger went to charge at the villain, only to be held back by the manacles and fetters holding her in place. "And just how do you plan to do that, huh?" Wendy challenged through gritted teeth. "I thought you said you can't touch me!"

"Ah, so you _do_ pay attention when I talk…" The demented educator crossed his arms, "Now, that's the beautiful part; I don't even have to lift a finger. The school does all of the work for me!" He pointed at the side of his head with his index finger, "You see, Corduroy, from your very first day here, Gravity Falls High has been literally seeping into the further regions of your consciousness. The more time you spent at this place, the more it learned about your deepest and darkest secrets. _It knows what makes you afraid, and moreso, what your greatest weakness is…"_

"You're lying! I gotta tell you; that has to be the worst bluff I've ever – "

*BANG!*

Wendy's attention left her bragging subjugator, switching her sights to her left. A loud smashing sound echoed from within the closed supply cabinet that she had previously TP'ed.

*BANG!*

She watched as the doors rattled, the silver handles in front waggled side to side, as if something within were trying to bust out.

*BANG!*

Wendy could do nothing but gulp as she waited for whatever was held inside of the cabinet to come out and make its presence known…

* * *

Dipper tapped his knuckles against the bedroom door, opening it slightly with a groaning *CREAK!*

"Mabel…?"

His eyes instantly focused on the sweater-donning girl on her bed as she whittled away with two giant sewing needles. She paid no heed to her brother as he stepped into the room, making sure not to accidentally step on her pet pig slumbering on the floor.

"Mabel," he greeted her again, "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"Hmm…" she answered, "Nope! Can't think of anything happening over here…" The pre-teen went back to her knitting; a somewhat uneasy expression still locked onto her face.

"Really?" Dipper played along, knowing that growing angry might totally ruin any chance of discovering the truth. He placed a hand under his chin as he pretended to act curious, "I'm not sure I believe that…"

"A-And why's t-that?"

He pointed at the half-finished garment in her hands, "Well, that sweater you're making for Waddles now has eight arm-holes…"

Mabel looked down to see that her brother was right. In her perturbed state, she had accidentally sown a few openings to many in her latest craftwork. With an agitated "Bah!" the girl tossed down her tools and pouted.

Dipper took a step forward, "Mabel, I think that you _do_ know where Wendy is…"

"No – no – no –no –" She turned away from her accusing sibling.

"But what I can't figure out is _why_ you wouldn't want to tell me, especially if there's a chance that she might be in trouble…"

The guilt-minded child slightly peeked towards Dipper, "If I was to know something – _and I'm not saying I do_ – it wouldn't be that I don't want to say anything, but that _I can't_ …"

"I see…" Dipper lamented, "And why's that?"

"What if I was to say that _a certain someone_ made me promise not to tell?"

Dipper's eyes widened, "Wait. You're telling me what Wendy made you promise not to say where she was going?"

She grew defensive, "You didn't hear that from me!"

"I know! I know!" The boy held his hands up in surrender, "You didn't tell me anything! I guessed!" After a moment to think, he probed further, "So, let's say if Wendy did make you swear to keep a secret, would it have been that you couldn't tell me or anyone in general?"

"Umm…" Mabel's brown eyes rolled back as she carefully thought about her options, "Just you, I guess…"

The sleuth joined Mabel on her bed, "So, if Soos was to ask you about this, you'd be able to tell him, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And what about Grunkle Stan? Wendy didn't say anything about talking to him about this?"

"Nope…"

As he thought about where to go next, Dipper's sights wandered around the room until he found his ace in the hole. He reached down and picked up Mabel's pig, placing him gently on her bedspread, "And how about Waddles?"

"My Waddles…" As usual, Mabel was instantly mesmerized by her adorable pet. She reached over and embraced the swine tightly. Within seconds, she was greatly comforted; the layers of culpability weighed down on her mind started to relent.

"And how could you keep a secret from poor ol' Waddles?"

Mabel gave a muffled answer, her mouth pressed against pink flab, "I just couldn't…"

"And if he was to ask you what Wendy's secret was, what would you tell him?"

With her eyes closed, the words slipped through her lips, "That Wendy snuck back into her school to get even with that mean-teacher-guy…" Mabel's eyes shot open as she gasped, releasing Waddles and covering her mouth with both hands.

"I KNEW IT!" Dipper threw a fist into an empty palm. "I knew something was up!" With his suspicions confirmed, he sprinted to the other side of the room and slid into his knees. He dug around with both arms, pulling a mixture of different supplies from beneath his bed.

"Dipper, wait!" Mabel set Waddles aside and hopped off her bed, "Dipper, I'm – I'm so sorry! I didn't mean – Wendy made me – " She shrunk back a bit as he quickly jammed all of his inventory into his knapsack. "Please don't be mad…"

He stood back up, spun around, and placed his hands on her shoulders, "I'm not mad at you, Mabel. I'm just worried about Wendy. I shouldn't have let her go off on her own. I knew that she was super-peeved, but I just thought that she needed to blow off some steam or something!" Dipper hoisted the backpack over his shoulder, "I admit it; I'm probably being over-protective and paranoid, but I need to make sure that Wendy's alright."

He went towards the exit as Mabel followed along, "Hang a sec! I'm going too!"

"You can't!" Dipper argued back, "I need you to stay here in case Wendy does show up. If you hear anything, I'll have my cell on me…"

Dipper raced down the stairs as Mabel heard the exit door of the Gift Shop slam shut a few seconds later. She sat down on the bed and cradled Waddles back onto her lap as she wondered about her friend's fate.

* * *

*BANG!*

The dual steel doors of the cabinet broke open with a resonating *CLANK!* Wendy squinted her eyes in an effort to try to find out what exactly had enough strength to cause such a reaction. Upon discovery, she pulled her head back in amazement, "You have to be freakin' kidding me!"

An entire row of various art supplies had come to life. Literally leaping from their individual spots on the numerous shelves, the set of stationary products landed on the linoleum flooring without making a sound. Making out a pair of paintbrushes, a grouping of long, fluffy feathers, and a hard-back scrubber amongst the mix, the redheaded lumberjack watched as the odd fellowship danced their way towards her in a similar fashion usually found in classical animation.

Mr. Cabkin looked over the overly unnatural scene with a sense of curiosity, left unsure of what fate his former student had inadvertently selected for herself.

"What is this?!" Wendy demanded, twisting her neck around to its limit as the shambling objects disappeared from her point of view. "What are you planning to do?"

The adult gave her an earnest look as he placed a hand against his chest, " _I'm_ not doing anything!" He motioned his arm towards her, "Whatever happens from this moment on stems on what lies in that mind of yours…"

"Stop talking in riddles! I'm getting sick and tired of you – AAAAH!"

As Wendy shouted at her kidnapper, she felt something stroke against the bottom of her stocking foot, making her entire body volt in response. Her lips quivered as the sensation moved to the other leg a second later. Wendy tried again to pull her feet out of the line of fire, finding that the cuffs binding her ankles refused to offer any sort of given slack.

A series of giggles rose up in her throat as she took in what was occurring: the two sentient paintbrushes stroked themselves up and down her sensitive soles. As the motions went faster, Wendy started to lose her self-control, letting more laughter escape from her lungs.

"HAHA! Wait! No – Don't – HA! Stop! Stop it right now!"

"Hmm…" Mr. Cabkin leaned forward as he studied the occurrence, "Interesting; very interesting…I've never seen this happen before."

Wendy had to force a series of cackles back down, "W-What?"

"To think, the great Wendy Corduroy's hidden weakness is none other than the ever-so-bizarre pteronophobia."

"TEE-HEE! "P-Peter – no – what?"

" _Pteronophobia_ ," Cabkin corrected, "Or in laymen's terms, _the fear of being tickled_." He placed his fists on his hips, "It's ironic if you think about it, isn't it? You spent your entire life humiliating others and becoming amused at their plights, and soon enough, that same laughter will be the key to your undoing!"

She thought about the ghost's words. The memories of her younger brothers dog-piling and tickle-torturing her to no extent came rushing back. Of course, someone would grow to despise that feeling after countless attacks – even going to the point that Wendy would be on-guard anytime would approach her while she was shoeless (even someone as trust-worthy as Dipper). However, she couldn't understand how such a thing could probably steal away her soul.

"Hee-Hee! What – " Wendy suddenly had a succession of coughing jags force itself up from the pit of her throat. Much to her shock, a thin blue essence appeared before her face before evaporating into thin air.

"Ahh…it begins…"

"What begins?! What was that stuff?"

"That, Corduroy, was your very being leaving your body. The more you suffer like this, the more the school absorbs your spirit." He pointed towards the mirror near the exit, "Look for yourself!"

Wendy turned her head to see her reflection. A large, white, colorless spot resided in the middle of her forehead, amiss her now-reddened, freckled skin.

"You see?! It is only a matter of time before you become a part of this school…forever!"

"You – HAHA – You can't do this!" Wendy pulled forward, her chains scrapping against the edges of her seat as the brushes continued to torture her, "People will come looking for me! You won't be able to get away with this!"

"Let me let you in on a little secret…" Using a flick of his fingertips, another chair soared across the floor, landing perfectly in front of Wendy. Mr. Cabkin took a seat, "In "special cases" involving the worst of the worst, the parents and families always seem to put up a brave face at first, but as time passes, they begin to notice that all of the trouble that comes with raising a problem child vanishes along with the child. There are no more school conferences; no more paying for reckless behavior and destruction of property; no more late night calls asking to be released from the local police station. After a while, their lives return to a peaceful and serene state – the way that they had always imagined it to be. _And once they realize this, they stop looking altogether_ …"

Wendy's rage propelled her, going as such to temporarily relieve her of the effects of the phantom irritation, " _You lie!_ Even if there was a shred of truth in what you said, I can think of one person who'd never stop searching for me! Dipper would tear this place apart brick by brick…"

She instantly went quiet as Wendy comprehended the awful truth she had placed upon herself:

 _"…if he knew I was here…"_

"Dipper?" The name resonated within the teacher as his memory went back to the small child offering to shake his hand earlier in the day. Mr. Cabkin leaned back in his chair and let out a lingering chortle, " _That's_ your great salvation?! A tiny boy in short pants?!" He wiped his eyes clean, "Oh…Oh, Corduroy, I'll tell you – I never would have guessed you would say something like that."

Wendy remained firm in her response, "You don't know that kid like I do. You couldn't begin to imagine what he's capable of!"

"Please…" the menace stood up back, "And even if you were correct in some capacity…" He went back to his desk and picked up her cell phone, which had been vibrating on and off randomly throughout their entire conversation. Cabkin displayed the flashing message from Dipper to her, "…it is as you said: no one knows you're here…"

Left without any rebuttal, Wendy lowered her head in defeat, growing entirely hushed (save for some uncontrolled forced snickers), wishing that she could take back forcing Mabel to secrecy. Sensing ultimate victory in his grasp, Mr. Cabkin set the flip phone back down. "Not your brightest hour, was it, Corduroy? Then again, when – "

"WENDY?!"

The call came from outside of the second-story window, the nasally voice carried along on the night wind. As soon as the sound reached Wendy's ears, her head rose up at once, her emerald eyes shining with hope as she instantaneously recognized the shrilled tone.

"What?!" Mr. Cabkin rushed to the window. The same boy he had slighted before was now standing just outside of Gravity Falls High, his hands cupped over his mouth as he yelled out again.

"WENDY?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Dipper stopped, as he noticed Wendy's red bicycle padlocked to a nearby tree. He looked up with determination at the destination set before him.

Astonished by the mere coincidence, Mr. Cabkin looked over his shoulder to see that Wendy sat upwards with a tooth-filled grin and a renewed sense of confidence.

"…told ya…"

Annoyed by the bragging teenager, the instructor snapped his fingers as he continued to watch Dipper's actions. For a split second, Wendy no longer felt the soft bristles aggravating her delicate foot skin. The instruments had magically flipped over, instead repeatedly dragging their hard handles down from heel to toe. Wendy yelped aloud, unintentionally releasing another amount of indigo life force into the air.

Hearing the high-pitched screech from within the school, Dipper hurried onto the school's steps. He attempted to open the double door entrance, finding it securely fastened closed. Refusing to give up, Dipper jumped from the staircase and explored the lower side of Gravity Falls High, eventually finding a small window leading into the basement. While the hidden entrance would have been too small for his lanky sweetheart to use, his smaller figure would be able to use it to his advantage.

Dipper fell back onto his bottom and delivered a well-placed kick to the frame, knocking it down into the bottom floor. Taking a deep breath, he slid down into the opening, well out of Cabkin's line of sight.

"Hmm…" The man pondered, stroking his chin as he turned around to see his pupil struggling to maintain her composure. More blue vapor escaped past her bitten lips as the paintbrushes prolonged their torturous methods.

"Do you consider yourself a betting woman, Corduroy?"

"What- HAHA! – What are you grabbling about?"

"Well, call me intrigued…" Cabkin admitted, "Usually, when one of my victims says "someone will come for them," it usually turns out to be an empty threat. But this "Dipper" of yours, fascinates me. Never before has someone responded so swiftly…" The man flashed a mordant leer, "He must be such the good little lapdog, isn't he?"

"DON'T – *HEEHEE* – DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!"

"Regardless," he straightened himself upwards, "I'd like to offer you a proposition…" The mounted clock struck ten o'clock, as the school's systems tolled twelve times to address the new hour. "If your friend can make it to your side by midnight, I'll release you from permanent detention. Heck, to show I'm a fair guy all around, I'll do one better: you two manage to beat the odds and win, consider this my resignation and final night at Gravity Falls High!"

"And if not?"

A dark shadow spread across his face, "Your soul will belong to GFHS…forever!"

Wendy thought about the offer, "I…really don't have a choice either way, do I?"

Mr. Cabkin shook his head, "Not really; no."

As turned his back on her, Wendy asked out of concern, "Hey, wait a second! You're not going to hurt him, are you?" The evil spirit didn't offer an answer, as he rubbed his hands in delight, preparing his own form of battle plan for the new visitor.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author Note: Sorry for the wait, guys and gals! This chapter was a bit bigger than I expected. Extra special thanks to SuperGroverAway and DeadSNESproject88 for helping with designing the "obstacles" Dipper has to face. Enjoy!_

* * *

"Answer me!" Wendy demanded, lurching forward as the rattling of her shackles echoed throughout the empty classroom. "What are you planning to do to Dipper?!"

Mr. Cabkin kept his back turned to her, his blue hued fingers clasped together as he pondered her question.

"…he will reap what he has sown…"

"Huh?"

Her teacher twirled around, "Your little buddy seems so eager in following in your footsteps. As far as I'm concerned, he can share your fate!"

"NO!" Wendy thrashed about as her hand and foot cuffs held her steadfast, "You can't do that! That kid didn't anything to you!"

"I call "breaking and entering" far from "anything," Corduroy." Mr. Cabkin began to pace around Wendy once again, "And believe me, you are in no position to be making demands."

He stepped towards the brick wall on the opposite side and started to make a swirling motion against it. The structure began to fade away as a literal circular window formed, revealing a darkened hallway from the first floor of the school. Despite the somewhat-fuzzy view provided, Wendy could make out something thumping around on the other end of a closed door.

"But the least I can do is let you see the events as they occur." The madman's smile grew, "After all, _he's the pony you bet your life on_ , so you might as well know how he's progressing…"

Sure enough, the doorknob bobbed noisily for a few seconds before it was pulled back. Dipper Pines came stumbling through the doorway leading down from the basement. He let out a few dust-filled coughs and brushed off the cobwebs that had clung to his clothing. The boy went onward, until he noticed that he had become inadvertently caught up within the lines of a worn out mop. Growing annoyed, Dipper lugged it loose and threw it back down the stairs before shutting the door behind him.

Gravity Falls High appeared to be of a different nature at night. Gone was the exciting world of teenaged hobbies and opportunities. Instead, a cold, darkened place was spread out before him, blanketed in shadow and hints of moonlight. Dipper's attention gathered to a shining object on his right side.

A thick iron chain had been wrapped around the handles of the front exit, being latched together by a heavy-duty padlock. Dipper examined the bindings as he thought to himself, "Why would Wendy lock herself inside like this?"

It took only a second for him to consider what really happened, _"…unless someone did this to keep her from leaving…"_ As his unease grew, the small detective reached into his vest to pull out a hand-held flashlight. He cupped his other hand around his mouth and called out into the distance:

"Wendy-y-y-y-y?!" Dipper's voice resonated through the hallways. "Are you here-e-e-e?"

Disheartened by the utter silence, he lowered his head, _"Please be okay…"_

From the other side of the spectrum, Wendy's heart fell in hearing the worry in Dipper's tone. She leaned ahead as much as she could and shouted, "DIPPER! DIPPER! I'M UP –"

Mr. Cabkin stepped in front of Wendy with a stern look on his face. His dark eyes glowed red in anger, "Call out to him again, and I'll see to it that you are gagged. Understood?"

The ginger grew silent as the ghost resumed his prim-and-proper stance and readjusted his tie, "Besides, we wouldn't want to cheat in our little wager now, would we?"

After shooting the man an irate stare, Wendy looked past the ghost through the paranormal window provided, eagerly watching on pins and needles as she hoped that her potential rescuer would be able to make his way unharmed through any obstacle that her abductor that prepared.

* * *

Dipper's ears perked as a familiar voice faintly boomed through the corridor before it was abruptly cut off:

"DIPPER! DIPPER! I'M UP –"

"WENDY!" Without a second thought, Dipper took off running in the direction the sound came from. As he rounded the corner, he found himself in the same area that they had traveled down earlier in the day during registration. The little hero remembered that Wendy had mentioned that her homeroom was somewhere on the second floor, so he figured that would be the best place to start his search.

Taking another deep breath, Dipper bolted down the hall to reach a stairwell when all a sudden…

*SLAM!*

*SLAM!*

*SLAM!*

*SLAM!*

Before he had a chance to stop, Dipper collided face-first with a thin, black object that had shot out of nowhere, sending him hurling back towards the ground. Landing on his bottom, Dipper rubbed his sore cheek as he glanced up to see what he crashed into.

A slender, yet sturdy onyx gate now blocked his path. Guessing it to be some type of fence used in an emergency lockdown, the stretched barrier was secured from one side of the wall to the other. Dipper stood up and tried to move the gate, noting that it wouldn't budge an inch. A simple release latch was placed on the other side; the narrow holes within the hurdle prevented him from reaching the lever.

Peering in the distance, the twelve year old could see that several other barricades had been placed every few yards ahead. "Man, this place takes security a bit too seriously," he thought. "How the heck am I going to get through all of those things?"

It had only been a few short hours since he and Wendy had been playfully teasing one another in these same halls leading up to the cafeteria – where the creepy teacher swooped in out of nowhere and publicly humiliated her – and how he let it happen with few protests.

A shade of guilt clouded Dipper's mind. He drew a parallel to what had happened a few weeks earlier at Lookout Point with Robbie. Sometimes, he would often forget that the strong-willed lumberjack princess _wasn't_ as invincible as she made herself out to be.

"If only I noticed something was wrong – maybe Wendy wouldn't be in this mess right now!"

In the back of his thoughts, Dipper could remember Wendy's pledge to help ease his own fears about the future; her sincere message replaying over and over, _"You know that you'll always have me here, right?"_

Dipper shook his head clear, figuring that this wasn't the time or the place for self-doubt. He had to focus on finding his missing crush before it was too late!

He set his head against the metallic fence in despair as he attempted to figure out a new strategy. Out of the corner of his eye, Dipper spotted that there was a door was placed against the left side just pass the fence, seeing that there was a matching twin right next to him.

"That's right!" He snapped his fingers in success. "These larger classrooms should have more than one entrance; probably because of the fire code or something. It'll take a while, but if I go from class-to-class, I'll make to the other side in no time!"

Dipper grabbed the handle and yanked the heavy door back. His eyes focused on a single spotlight shimmering down into the middle of the room. Even with the limited amount of light available, Dipper was easily able to recognize his current surrounding.

"It's the gymnasium!"

He noticed that the gigantic-sized room had changed since the last time he peeked his head inside. It had been formatted for the nearest sporting event as the bleachers had been left protruding from each side of the arena. Oddly enough, a few blue gymnastic mats were left sprawled messily across the hardwood floor, each nearly touching the singular radiance hanging overhead.

Seeing that there was no immediate danger to be found, Dipper slowly traced a path by the bleachers, making his way towards the exit on the other end of the gym.

*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*

Dipper let out a surprised gasp as he spun around. A lone basketball bounced down from the top of the bleachers, making its way to down level step by step. Relieved, he wiped the sweat away from his brow, "Phew! Just a ball! But where did it –"

Before Dipper had a chance to finish his sentence, _dozens_ of different types of balls flew down from the top of the elevated staircase, each bounding across diverse speeds and heights at the startled child.

*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*

*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*

*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*

With his hands held up to protect his head, Dipper started to backpedal away from the bleacher until he noticed that the floor was soft and squishy beneath his black sneakers. He glazed down to see that he was now standing atop one of the gymnastic mats. Before he could make his next move, the mat started to writhe and shake of its own accord.

"H-H-HEY!"

The blue cushion rose up over the frightened pre-teen and wrapped itself around his body, akin to turning him into a tiny burrito. Dipper tried to squeeze himself loose, finding that his arms and legs were pinned down. His vision was blocked off aside from a constant azure shade.

Suddenly, Dipper could feel the coiled mat started to roll around the gymnasium flooring, picking up speed by the second. With hostage within, it leapt against the rock-hard wall at high-frequency, ricocheting across the room.

"WHOA-A-A!"

All of the air rushed out of Dipper's lungs. The impact made him feel like he was going to throw up. When the mat came to a complete stop, he could sense that the constriction holding him immobile had finally loosen its grasp.

Within seconds, Dipper had kicked his way to freedom, inching between the newly-given slack. He rose up to find that he was now surrounded by countless axels, rods, and other forms of collapsible machinery.

"I'm… _behind the bleachers?_ "

As Dipper started to dust himself off, he could hear a clicking sound faintly in the distance. All of a sudden, the mechanisms encircling him sprang to life! The boisterous parts began to retract towards their set indentation in the wall.

"The bleacher's going to squish me!"

Dipper tripped over the twisted mat as he went to flee. Falling hard on his knees, he lifted his head to see that his window of escape was closing more and more by the second. He shot up and zigzagged between the frames as they became narrower. The running of the motors rang in his eardrums. Dipper was nearing the way out when something jerked him back at the last second.

"What the - ?"

A piece of his blue vest had become ensnared within one of the rods. Pumped full of adrenaline, the boy tugged the caught clothing with both hands in an effort to break free. As the metal scrunched inwards, the snagged piece tightened around his arm.

Only a few feet away, Dipper could make out an exposed maintenance box mounted into the wall. In the center, in between a clutter of wiring and switches lied a huge red button with a label below, "EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF"

Dipper strained to reach the button, only to that his fingertips missed their mark by mere inches. His limb was pulled back further as the bleacher moved closer to its shut positioning, leaving him unable to use his arm. Amidst the chaos, the tween felt something brush up against the side of his sneaker. One of the balls that came crashing down earlier had rolled behind the stairs, ending up at Dipper's feet.

A desperate idea formed in the sleuth's mind. With his free hand, Dipper bent down and griped the sphere, praying that for once in his premature life, that his aim would be true. He closed an eye and bit his lip to keep himself from twitching nervously. With a weak over-handed toss, Dipper just barely thwacked the bright red release.

The machines surrounding him whirled down to a deathly quiet. With the current threat calmed, Dipper turned around the best he could and tore himself loose from the snag. He moaned as he noticed a deep rip in his newest blue vest. His attention swung back to the real matter at hand: the series of misfortunes that had just befouled him moments ago.

"There's no way that all was just a big coincidence…I gotta find Wendy and fast!"

He raced towards the exit, throwing his shoulder against the double doors, well on the way towards his next destination…

* * *

From the other side of the otherworthly pane, Mr. Cabkin watched Dipper as he nearly avoided a messy death, becoming interested by the small boy's cleverness and determination.

Behind him, Wendy found herself appalled by the scene that had played out before her eyes. A feeling of nausea formed in the pit of her stomach.

"You – you sleaze!"

"Hmm?" Mr. Cabkin turned around towards his captive audience.

"Are you insane?!" Wendy shouted, "You could have killed him!"

"The key phrase there is "could have," the professor noted, "It appears that this "Dipper" is a bit more than the moronic types you tend to ally yourself with." He brushed his beard stubble with his hand as his curiosity grew, "He has seemingly inherited your natural born luck just as much as your prowess in burglary. Then again, such things can only get you so far, as you must have learned by now…"

"I swear to you, man," Wendy hissed through her teeth, "When I get outta here…"

"" _When_?"" Mr. Cabkin clapped his hands together, "Such confidence we have, don't we, Corduroy? If anything, the correct term should be " _if_ " you are freed from your current predicament." A menacing look formed across his face, "But some friendly advice: you should be more concerned with your own plight rather than his!"

The educator noticed that his victim hasn't giggled up a slew of blue soul-containing essence in quite some time. The once-animated paintbrushes that merrily tormented her now lied at the sides of Wendy's chair, as the ghostly presence of the school had been focused elsewhere. He knew that the process would have to resume as soon as possible in order to meet the midnight deadline.

From well out of Wendy's line of sight, the grouping of multi-colored, yet incredibly fluffy feathers started to spring about as they were imbue with life. As if they were guided by an invisible hand, they split in bunches of two, each lining up before a trapped socked foot.

Seconds later, Wendy could start to feel it. A light, downy touch itched against her right sole. Then, the sensation traveled to her left. She immediately knew what was coming. Trying to set up a sort of resistance, the plucky girl scrunched her freckled face as tightly as she could and began to shake her head back and forth.

"Nope-Nope-Nope-Nope-Nope!" Wendy chanted as she forced herself to focus on anything but the current situation. As long as she didn't give in, her soul would remain hers. "You're – You're going to have to try harder than that!"

Mr. Cabkin seemed to agree with his student, nodding along with her statement, "I believe you might be right, Corduroy…" With that, he snapped the fingers on both hands and awaited the further escalation to come.

Unexpectedly, Wendy's feet grew colder. A sobering chill started in the tips of her toes, shooting up beneath the balls of her feet, gliding against her insteps. She opened her eyes, "W-W-What is that?" Trying her best to readjust her body, the redhead looked behind her, her mouth dropped in horror at what was happening.

Her yellow-and-orange socks were being magically unraveled off her peds bit-by-bit! The loose strings were being rolled in a neat little pile on each side of the chair, leaving Wendy barefoot. She looked back at Mr. Cabkin, whom offered a faux-sincere appearance.

"Well, let's say we take that again from the top?"

The floating plumes positioned themselves against her heels, leaving Wendy unable to see what was about to follow next…

* * *

As Dipper held the handle of the door in front of him, he froze as he could have sworn to hear a feminine shriek fill the night air. The child forced the willies away, choosing to press forward in his rescue mission.

He stood before the full-sized in-ground pool he had marveled earlier that day. A small series of built-in lights fixed into the roof gave the room an eerie bluish-green glow. Seeing the large body of water made Dipper miss his days at the Gravity Falls Pool. He remembered how he served as junior lifeguard at Wendy's side until they were both dismissed due to their constant pranking and misuse of power.

Using his flashlight, Dipper noticed a fresh pair of footprints leading up to the exit across the way. He nodded along as he pointed out the sight, chuckling quietly under his breath. There was no way he was going to fall for any other tricks this wicked place had planned for him. From all the time he had spent with a bikini-clad Wendy at the pool, the resourceful adolescent could tell that the prints were way too long and wide to match his lanky friend's petite frame.

Dipper carefully walked around the long end of the pool, making sure to take his time in order to avoid taking a fateful slip in the crystal-clear depths. As soon as he made it halfway through his planned detour…

*SPLASH!*

The detective froze in place, tracing the sound to somewhere in the middle of the pool. He turned and focused his flashlight in the center, seeing nothing but smooth and calming waters.

*PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!"

Dipper aimed his light at the path he had just traveled down. One by one, new footprints appeared on the tiled floor, heading directly in his direction.

*PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!"

"H-Hang on a sec!" Dipper held up a steady hand as the invisible predator came closer, "Let's not be too hasty here…" He retreated further down the edge, his eyes never leaving the ghostlike occurrence, yet left unaware as he mistakenly stepped his left foot through a disregarded lifesaver.

Without any warning, the lifesaver was pulled into the water, dragging Dipper along for the ride. His knapsack and flashlight flew from his grasp. The unsuspecting youth landed head first into the icy water. Free of the oversized donut, he kicked towards the surface and took a deep breath; the sudden fall had knocked all the oxygen out from him. Goose flesh spread across his now-soaked body. For once, he was relieved that he had left his Journal #3 at home, for it surely would have been ruined.

Dipper whirled around, trying to find out whom or what drew him into the pool. Something tugged at his ankle, making him bob beneath the top of the water. His nervousness increased as he was still unable to see the threat. Once again, Dipper was pulled deeper under the surface as he could feel more hands grabbing at his clothing. Seconds passed as he attempted to get away from whatever had seized him; the air in his lungs grew thinner by the moment.

With one burst of strength, Dipper lashed out, flailing his arms and legs wildly. A stream of bubbles surrounded his shorten stature. Somehow, he had broken away from his unseen assailants. He dove parallel to the pool's flooring, and pushed off the bottom with both feet. He nearly shot out of the water, as he coughed loudly as fresh air started to flow again. He looked over his shoulder and began to choke as the evil he faced made itself known.

Shapes in the water itself started to rise up, reminding Dipper of small heads peeking out from the abyss. Slowly, they made their way towards him, spreading around to surround the helpless boy. Dipper took off in the opposite direction as fast as he could, not daring to look back even once. He saw a secured ladder leading out of the pool only a few feet away.

Dipper hopped onto the steps and attempted to climb out of the murk, only to be stopped halfway. He could sense several pairs of arms wrapping around his waist and legs. Dipper looked to see that more and more shapeless water-beings were clawing at him, trying to get him back into the water. He draped his arms across the closest rung and closed his eyes, hanging on for dear life. However, Dipper knew that this stalemate couldn't last forever.

He opened his eyes to see that a pool skimmer stretched out just over the hardened edge. The young rescuer remembered how he was able to break away from the monsters the first time – by creating a current of bubbles about him. Straining greatly, Dipper reached on his tip-toes towards the cleaning utensil, having the handle fall through his fingertips. His foot slipped off the step as the water-ghouls tightened their hold. Dipper stretched his right arm out further, inching the metal rod closer and closer until he held it firmly in his hand.

Using the pool skimmer, he swatted the top of the water roughly, dissipating the strange creatures from existence. Dipper continued to splash against the surface of the pool, making sure that the ghosts could no longer form within the now-rough waters. As soon as he knew he was in the clear, Dipper jumped up the remainder of the ladder, collected his belongings, and headed towards the exit. His squeaky sneakers made him slip on the slick floor, but with perseverance, the small conqueror threw himself through the unlocked door.

Finally knowing that he was safe from a submerged death, an exhausted Dipper slumped down against the door, letting his head lean against his raised knees. He repeatedly took deep breaths as he tried to comprehend what had happened, left totally unaware the deadline deciding Wendy's fate was ticking away without delay…

* * *

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Wendy threw her head back and let out another loud guffaw, as a huge burst of blue essence flowed from her mouth and nostrils. Her entire body trembled in ticklish agony as the animated feathers continued to explore every aspect of her now-bare soles. Her entrapped feet could do nothing but wiggle side to side as the foot restraints refused to release their grip on her ankles.

In between the random bursts of forced laughter, Wendy tried to raise her arms out from behind, trying her best to slide out from her captivity, having every escape attempt defeated an instant later.

Mr. Cabkin ignored his pupil's struggles, instead choosing to watch over Dipper's latest victory throughout the booby-trapped high school. As soon as he seen his newest victim drop to the floor in order to catch his breath, he returned his attention towards Wendy, eager to see how her "transformation" had been coming along.

"Well," the man clicked his tongue, "It seems that you're progressing nicely. At this rate, you'll definitely be ready to go by midnight…"

 _"What is he talking about?"_ Wendy glanced back towards the mirror by the room's exit. All of the color from her dimpled face had vanished, leaving behind a chalky white overtone. Her vibrant red hair had been turned a dark black. Her shining green eyes were now a dimmed gray.

Wendy bit her lip even harder and shook her seat back and forth, desperate to find any way towards freedom. The cerulean concentrate maintained its flow through her orifices with every reflexive reaction.

 _"C'mon, Dipper…you gotta hurry…please…"_

* * *

Dipper twisted the remaining amount of water from his trademark pine-tree cap, drying it the best he could. After failing to pick the lock of the gate blocking the straight path, he reluctantly opened the door leading to the next classroom, knowing deep down that there was probably some type of menace awaiting him. None of this was making any sense. Where was Wendy? What were these spirits? And how did Wendy's teacher fit into all of this?

Dipper closed the door behind him, taking a minute to inspect the new room.

"…the Metal Shop…"

When he had originally laid eyes on the workshop, the possibilities were almost endless. To Dipper, it seemed like the perfect fix of technology to match his inquisitive nature as well as a much-needed boost to his sense of manhood. Now, he remained on edge, wondering when and where the next hazard would be waiting to strike.

Half a dozen welding stations were placed alongside of the outer walls of the room. Semi-finished projects sat upon rows of shelves marked with hand-written labels. Two lengthy tables extended across the area, each with a huge, sharpened buzz saw planted into their ends. An exposed engine, from what Dipper guessed to be a student's car was mounted in the center. Piles of jagged, twisted metal and rusted chains were mixed together in a tangled mess.

"…Interesting…"

In spite of the dire circumstances at hand, Dipper couldn't help but become enamored by the awesome scenery. As he slowly ambled through the walkway, making sure to take notice of every last detail, the mound of discarded metal and iron links vibrated in place. Dipper paused for a second, using his flashlight to look back towards the stack, finding no indication of life.

He rubbed his face, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him, or perhaps he was due for another paranormal encounter any second. Much to his disbelief, he reached the other end of the classroom without any sort of trouble.

"Phew!"

Just as Dipper placed his hand on the doorknob, the entire room sprang to life. The drills and heavy machinery activated on their own, filling the once-quiet atmosphere with endless, head-pounding noise. The multiple buzz saws twirled in a blurry frenzy, just waiting for something to slice though in a jiffy. The lights above him became brighter, creating a whining sound until they blew up one by one, forcing him to cover his head to avoid the hot sparks flying through the air. The engine revved continuously, considering that it should have been physically impossible to do so due to its separated state.

Something thick and heavy swathed itself around Dipper's pudgy mid-section numerous times. One of the disregarded chains had reached for him from across the class! Once it had a firm clasp, it jerked the light-weight off of his feet. He held the doorknob with both hands, but one last tug forced him from his chance at safety, dragging him back into the center of the room. Dipper dug his fingernails into the floor to stay to slow his descent, but his bindings pulled harder, sending him flying through the air.

"Ugh!"

The links had let go of Dipper in mid-flight, dropping him back-first onto the closest wooden tables. As he lied writhing in pain, more chains came from beneath, each wrapping about his shins. The cold steel dug deep into his tender flesh, making Dipper cry aloud. The dual bonds started to draw back, inching him towards the still-running blade at the end of the table.

"Omigosh! Omigosh! Omigosh!" His brown eyes grew wider at the blurry sight. He instinctively reached behind and used both hands to grab on to the other side of the table, making the steel lines burrow harder into his skin the more he tried to resist them.

*RRRRGGGGHHH!*

A deafening roar reverberated through the room. Dipper turned his head to find out what exactly was making the horrendous sound. That's when he spotted it; the mere sight of it paralyzed his entire body with absolute fear.

From behind the buzz saw, two eyeballs made of pure fire set themselves upon him. A demonic face floated up from the ground, hastily crafted together from all of the chunks of raw metal growled at Dipper. It let out a haunting hiss, releasing a shorten fireball from its spiky jaws. The bound kid moved his neck just in the nick of time to avoid the flame.

Dipper noticed another bright light flashing above his head. A succession of sparks flew from the main power outlet set into a huge column in the middle of the room. Numerous plugs were inserted into every possible opening, creating the rising electrical surge.

"Maybe if I could…" Dipper went to reach for the bundle, only to see another fireball aimed towards his head. He dodged at the last second, allowing the chains around his ankles to yank him closer to the deadly cutting edge. The razor-pointed, curved tips came inches before the inseam of his shorts. With another lunge, Dipper was able to take a hold of the various plugs. He tried to pull them out of their sockets, finding that they refused to budge. The links heaved harder, making Dipper scream out in pain. His shouts were muted by the incredible buzzing and the snarls of the metallic beast.

Gradually, he could feel the wiring starting to give way. With one last pull, Dipper shut his eyes and removed the plugs from the column. A single spark shot through the air as the room fell dead in an instant. The monstrous visage clattered into pieces all over the solid ground. The saws slowed to a stir before coming to a complete stop. His irons slipped off of his legs and joined the wreckage on the floor.

With the danger vanquished, Dipper let his head rest against the table. He stared up at the dimmed ceiling, wondering if Wendy had been going through her own ghostly trials.

* * *

*HUFF-PUFF! HUFF-PUFF!*

The long, now-blackened bangs draped over Wendy's face as she fought to catch her breath. A mixture of sweat and laughter-induced tears poured down her cheeks. Her fluffy trapper hat was knocked off from on top her head sometime during her escape attempts. If not for the bindings pinning her to her seat, Wendy would have slithered down from the chair in pure fatigue.

Hearing the heavy breathing growing louder, Mr. Cabkin turned away from his viewing window. He grinned at the condition of his defiant student, "Still having fun?" The teacher took pleasure in seeing that the infectious pastiness that traveled down to her arms, leaving only half of her body still flesh-colored.

Wendy whispered her answer; her throat still sore from the forced mirth, "No…more…no…more…"

"Eh?" He stepped forward to hear her more clearly, "What's the matter, Corduroy? Not as tough as you thought you were, huh? It doesn't matter how strong you really are, once the school gets into your head, there is no release!"

Wendy drifted in and out of consciousness, the blue mist flowing through her in small bursts, as the educator continued on with his reasoning, "…of course your body is going to react like that. There are over 7,800 nerves in each foot alone…"

"Please!" The resistant ginger regained her voice, "Do I really need to spend my last waking moments listening to your dribble?"

Mr. Cabkin moved his head back, "And there we are. For a second there, I thought that you wouldn't be able to make it to midnight." He thought about Wendy's statement, "So, "last waking moments," right? Does this mean that you're ready to accept your fate?"

"Not – Not – " Wendy protested in between some giggles, "Not a chance! Dipper'll be here any minute, and when he comes, we're going to wipe that creepy smile off your face!"

"Oh, really?" The man mocked, "And can you blame me for smiling? I've waited a long time to get you into that seat there – a long time to see you get your just desserts."

"I bet you have, you creep!" Wendy narrowed her eyes as she lowered her voice, "For all I know, you probably get your jollies by watching me squirm like this, don't cha?"

Wendy's blood instantly ran cold as Mr. Cabkin began to change before her eyes. His blue, translucent glow became an angry red. His stature stretched until the ceiling. His eye sockets turned pitch black as tiny orange fires replaced his pupils. Crooked and deformed teeth rose up from his jaw line.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

The latch locking the chair's wheels in place suddenly released. The ghoul pushed towards Wendy, sending her flying towards the blackboard with a thrust of a hurricane. She grunted as her back slammed roughly against the copper trim.

"You still don't get it, do you, Corduroy?"

The chair spun around several times before jolting to a complete stop, leaving the vulnerable high schooler dizzy. The transformed Mr. Cabkin leaned over Wendy's shoulder and extended a bony hand towards the blackboard. "See for yourself – the other members of the damned that share your fate!"

Another otherworldly window swirled on the wall. However, instead of showing Dipper, Wendy was offered a view into the next room. In the center of the class, a young girl roughly her age was secured to the middle desk by chains and a heavy duty padlock. Dressed in a punk-retro 1980s style, her face scrunched up tightly as a nerve-racking sound filled the ambience.

Having her own delicate senses agitated, Wendy could barely keep one eye open to see the cause of the noise. A floating, grotesque purple claw with diseased yellowed fingernails dragged itself up and down every square inch of the chalkboard, making the incarcerated teen cringe with every moment.

"PLEASE STOP! JUST MAKE IT STOP!"

Mr. Cabkin started to narrate, "Sheena was actually the first student I failed. I gave that young lady every chance in the world to improve her grades, and she blew me off, only to act shocked when she was told she wasn't going to graduate with the rest of her class! Like you, Corduroy, she blamed me for her actions! Because of this, our Sheena decided that she was going to get even with me by spray-painting "CABKIN BLOWS CHUNKS!" in our teacher's lounge. That was…until I caught her in the act…"

Wendy watched as Sheena twisted and turned, trying desperately to flee from the torturous scene, "And since then, Sheena has spent the last few _decades_ in that very seat, where GFHS and I make sure that she'll pay full attention to anything scribbled on that blackboard!"

An instance later, Wendy was shoved towards the partially-opened window, only to be stopped at the last second. Mr. Cabkin went on with his demonstration, as Wendy could sense him above her head.

"And look out into the distance; by the old racing track…"

Wendy squinted until she noticed something moving about in the distance. To her, it looked as if a somewhat-husky boy was being chased by some type of three-headed wicked dog. Unfortunately, he couldn't take flight from the scene, as a sturdy harness had been locked around his midsection and shoulders. With a line attached to his back leading to a stake planned in the center of the middle-field, the boy could do nothing but run endlessly in circles, screaming in vain for help as he attempted to evade the mindless beast who wished to tear him to pieces.

"That's Gerald. Every time he had to run track for P.E., he thought that he could take a shortcut by ducking behind the stands, and re-joining the race during the final lap. That was, until I caught him during a lunch break one fateful day. Despite only being failed for that day, Gerald decided that he couldn't let such an injustice stand, so, as is the case of all you lot, he plotted vengeance…"

"The next night, during a Parent-Teacher conference, the little fool snuck back into campus and tried to pour sugar into each of the teachers' car's gas tanks, thinking it ironic if the staff would be forced to walk home, just as he had been forced to do during the school day. He thought that he would get away with such a transgression; that no one would be watching, but he was wrong; _I_ was watching! And I made sure that from dusk 'til dawn, Gerald will never, ever cheat on doing laps ever again!"

Wendy was pulled away from the view, being rotated about until she ended up in her original spot in the center of her homeroom. A light *CLICK* forced her chair back into a stand-still. A calmed and regressed Mr. Cabkin reappeared a few feet away from her.

"And soon, my dear Miss Corduroy," he received, "You will join Sheena and Gerald, as well as the other dozens that reside in the shadows of Gravity Falls High!" The clock in the room let out another twelve chimes, indicating that it had just turned eleven o' clock. "Hmm…in one hour to be exact…"

"Hold on!" Wendy was still processing all of the craziness surrounding her, " _Dozens_?! Just how many kids have you – "

"Oh, don't act so surprised, Corduroy!" He brushed off with a coy laugh, "What did you think were all those monsters attacking your young champion down there?"

"The students?"

"Of course! Though after years of non-stop persecution, some fragile minds simply snap into two, leaving them unhinged, and willing to go after anything filled with life energy without bias or prejudice." He pointed at the phantom window displaying Dipper opening the door to the last classroom in that hall, "It's as I said before: your little "Dipper" has been lucky so far, but sooner or later, something will get the best of him, and then, you're this school's for the taking!"

"We'll see about that!" Wendy prided - her faith in her friend never shaken once. She let out a tiny *EEP!* as she felt the tips of the feathers brush beneath the bottoms of her bare feet.

"Yes…" Mr. Cabkin nodded along, "We will see, won't we…?"

* * *

Before he entered the new territory, Dipper stuck his knapsack out on his arm and wiggled it suggestively, seeing if there were any other bizarre creatures lying in wait for him. After letting his bait dangle for a few moments, he poked his head into the room to double-check the area.

Low hanging studio lights lit up a well-stocked art gallery. A circle of half finished canvas bordered around a thin, white platform, leading Dipper to believe it was where live models would be placed as the particular subject at hand. An older pottery stove was positioned in the left-most corner; its top covered with poorly-shaped, half-cracked ceramics.

Walking across the side, past the sturdy tables where the undergraduates would sit to finish their current projects. A stainless steel sink was imbedded into the side, where a repetitive, single drip boomed throughout the quiet room. From out of the corner of his eye, Dipper could have sworn to see something furry scurrying along the drain. Using his flashlight, he hurried to the sink and peered over the edge.

Dipper sighed in relief; a bunch of paint-stained brushes were placed near the strainer, just waiting to be cleaned off.

"Paintbrushes?! Man, I really have to stop being so jumpy. What's the worst they could do? _Tickle me to death_?" He shook his head at such an absurd thought.

 _"Dipper…"_

The twelve-year-old jumped at having his name called. He clutched his arms against his vest-covered chest in order to catch his flashlight. Once his courage was gathered, Dipper's eyes darted across the room in search of the source of the mysterious, yet recognizable voice.

"Where did it come from?"

 _"Dipper…where are you?"_

"I'm here! I'm here!" He answered with confidence, as the tone was one that he had longed to hear since making his rather-unusual journey through Gravity Falls High. Oddly enough, the voice came from somewhere above Dipper. Confused, he used his light to examine the ceiling and neighboring walls. The beam highlighted another abnormal feature of the room – on both sides, a string of portraits were hung on the highest ledge; the displays stretching from end to end in perfect symmetry.

 _"Dude, what's taking so long? Can't you see me?"_

"I'm almost there! Just hang on!" Dipper sprinted up and down the halls of the art gallery, searching for any clue that would help lead to his crush's whereabouts. His imagination raced at the different possibilities; was the perky gift shop clerk hidden away behind the sturdy wall? Why couldn't he figure out what was going on?

All out of ideas, Dipper began to read off the plaques beneath each of the artist renderings, hoping that it would lead to some sort of hidden answer to his problems. Instead, all he noticed were the names of different students that had went to the school over the years.

"There's…gotta be something…Oh, I know!" Dipper exclaimed. "Maybe the names are a kinda riddle that opens a secret passageway or something like that…" He spoke out loud, thinking that perhaps it would help him gain a greater insight to the problem at hand.

"…Sheena Davison…Gerald Rodgers…"

Dipper stopped in his tracks as he examined the last portrait on the right side. He nearly dropped his flashlight at the shock of the discovery…

"…Wendy Corduroy…"

The picture above the plaque appeared to be a blurred mess, but as Dipper continued to study it, the painting starting to come together on its very own. Unable to take his eyes out of it, he watched as the backgrounds gave way to a mess of copper-red hair. A blank face appeared below, turning a shade of paled pink, with small brown freckles alongside the cheekbones. Thin red lips popped out as the jaw line flowed downwards, leading a slender neck into a freshly-dressed green flannel shirt.

To Dipper's terror, the mouth on the painting began to move, giving off a grim murmur:

 _"Dipper, help me…please…"_

His entire body quivered with fear, frozen solid by the haunting display before him.

"W-W-What in the world?! How is – How is this even possible?"

The eyeless vision of his sweetheart changed expression, appearing to be somewhat frightened. The doppelganger screamed, "Look out! Behind you!"

As Dipper started to turn around, something reached out for him, grabbing the younger Pines twin by both wrists. Being hoisted into the air, Dipper shrieked upon seeing his attacker.

One of the other student portraits had come to life! It stretched out from beyond its paint-filled borders, becoming a blurred, yet solidified three-dimensional being. With its back end still attached to its host painting, the fiend dragged Dipper kicking and scratching towards its base, pulling his top half through the canvas itself.

"W-W-W-Whoooooooooaaaaaaa!"

Dipper could see a neon-colored, psychedelic world that went on for miles on end! Up was down and down was up! There were no natural laws to abide to, as clocks melted on broken bare trees and skeleton men chased one another through an endless stairwell that defied physics itself. It was so hypnotizing that it was almost welcoming. As the moments passed, Dipper started to forget about finding Wendy, only wanting to stay longer in this strange new land.

"NO!"

His inner strength broke through. Dipper pushed his legs against the brick wall on the other side of the barrier. After a brief struggle, he pulled himself back through the portal, landing roughly on the cold, hard ground.

Dipper moaned as he recovered his senses. He went on full alert as more paintings extended from their individual places in an effort to recapture their uninvited guest. Their chilling cries sent tremors down his spine. The mystery-solver hopped to his feet and made his way to the exit, finding his escape cut off by another living picture. Its fingers reached out towards Dipper, forcing him back blindly. He tripped over an unseen container, accidentally spilling some of its contents all over the floor. His sneakers slipped on the solution, sending Dipper crashing back onto the ground.

Laid out on the flooring, the downed boy looked up to see that the phantasms had him hopelessly pinned. And yet, not one of them dared to strike. Something didn't seem right. It was as if they were hesitant to finish the job.

"But why?" Dipper asked himself. A strong, pungent odor filled the classroom. The smell was somewhat familiar. Instantly, he began to understand what had just happened, or more importantly, what is it that he had landed in. Dipper turned towards the ruined receptacle and read its label: TURPENTINE.

"Paint thinner!"

With one fell swoop, Dipper rolled towards the vessel and seized its sprayer. He rose up, holding the nozzle with both hands, and released the pressure. A stream of solvent blasted across the room, soaking everything within distance with the powerful chemical. The apparitions screeched in misery as they became liquefied by a mere touch of the substance.

With all remaining enemies defeated, Dipper sank to his knees, desperate to regain his breath.

 _"Dipper…"_

By pure instinct, he raised the spray up towards the ceiling. Of all the ruined portraits, only the hal-finished Wendy picture remained. Despite being in Dipper's sights, the mouth parted ways, offering one last key of advice:

 _"You have to hurry…you're running out of time…"_

Dipper nodded in agreement, and then dropped his weaponry, making his way pass the exit. Finally free of the labyrinth-like hallway, he rounded the corner and stopped at the stairwell leading to the second floor of Gravity Falls High. He opened the doors and sprinted up the staircase, knowing that he was close to finding his main squeeze.

"Wendy! I'm on my way!"


	4. Chapter 4

_Small note: for the folks that voted on this story to be created, the final poll was:_

 _Yes - with 31 votes (96%)_

 _No - with 1 vote (3%)_

 _Thanks for participating!_

* * *

*C-REEEEEEEEEE-K!*

The swinging door leading back down to the first door screeched behind Dipper, making every hair on the back of his neck stand up right.

He gazed down the hall, only to feel relief as a cleared path lay before him. Thankfully, there wasn't a single collapsible gate to be found. Rows upon rows of stainless steel lockers paved both sides of the hallway, save for the occasional classroom found in between.

"Well, at least they're normal classes…" Dipper stood on his tip-toes as he peered into the viewing window of the nearest doorway. The room was completely dark and yet empty, except for the usual desks and chairs awaiting the newest arrival of high school students. "Wendy has to be in one of these rooms. _She just has to!"_

*CRACK!*

The sudden noise made Dipper spin around. His flashlight reflected off of a sturdy trophy display case. Dozens of aged prizes stood proudly amongst several Gravity Falls Gossiper newspaper clippings. A large, framed black and white photo of members of a basketball teams from decades ago sat next to another giant cartoonish beaver – the official mascot of Gravity Falls High.

Dipper took a closer look at the showcase, noting the dates on all of the literature, "Wow! All of these are ancient! They haven't won anything in nearly twenty years!" He remembered Wendy's refusal in joining the current basketball team earlier in the day. "That's probably why Wendy said no; not because she was being lazy; _it's because they suck!"_

*CRACK!*

The second sound put Dipper on high alert. He used the beam of light to examine the case from top to bottom until he finally found the source.

A small crack had formed at the very top of the glass panel. His eyes lowered back to the center as Dipper heard a rattling sound. He could have sworn that the beaver figurine had clattered, and yet, it remained still upon being spotted. Its black, beady eyes stared up at Dipper, mocking him with his silly, carefree expression.

Knowing nothing good could come from this, Dipper started to back away slowly, never daring to take his eyes off of the devious-looking mascot. As soon as he felt he had created enough distance, going halfway down the hall before returning his full attention to the search for Wendy…

*KLASH!*

Dipper instantly turned around to see that the trophy case had been shattered! He ran back to the wreckage, the shards of glass cracking further beneath his sneakers as he hoped to get the drop on whatever had broken through before it would attack him.

His beam of light overlooked the trophy case for a second time. A deep break stretched down the paneling; the glass pieces at Dipper's feet made him realize that the case had not been broken into, rather that something had come from within the displays of mementos.

"But what exactly?" Dipper asked himself as he double-checked every square inch for a clue. At first, he had overlooked it, but pulled his light back as the oddity crossed his mind.

Dipper narrowed his eyes at the framed photo of the Gravity Falls High Basketball team, noticing that half of the snapshot was now missing. All that remained was a grayscale background, without any sign of student players to be seen.

*R-R-R-R-I-I-P-P-P!*

The boy stepped away at the unusual sound. To him, it was like fabric was being torn nearby. A bright orange glow made Dipper turn to his right.

The animated beaver defied his earthly bounds and slowly twisted his head in Dipper's direction. Its plastic eyes now burned as bright as two tiny golden stars. As the detective's lower lip quivered in dread, the beaver's mouth opened, the white sharpened buck-teeth reflected off the passing moonlight:

"NNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!"

*SLAM!*

The double-doors behind him shot open as ghostly whispered filled the night air. Brief squeaks on the recently waxed floor let Dipper know that multiple entities were heading his way. The voices grew louder and louder until he was able to make out what they were saying:

 _"Hey! There he is!"_

 _"Little nerd thinks that he can walk in our halls?! We'll see about that!"_

 _"Let's remind him whose boss around these parts!"_

 _"Get him!"_

 _"Yeah, grab him!"_

Without a second warning, Dipper took off down the hall. He had been in this situation before; not of the paranormal, but in the real world. His different walk of life had attracted many whom despised him for it, and weren't afraid to make him know it every waking moment of the school year.

Only this time, there wasn't anyone left to help him through it. No teachers to force the bullies back. No Mabel or Wendy to help him out of this mess. He was all alone with whatever persecution was being plotted against him.

*THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!*

The countless numbers of lockers instantly opened their doors as Dipper sprinted past, almost as they were responding to his location. Despite the constant slamming, he could still make out the impact of invisible feet slapping the ground as his pursuers shouted after him.

 _"Get back here, creep!"_

 _"It's time for your swirly!"_

 _"No, he needs a good atomic wedgie to keep him in line!"_

 _"Or a purple-nerple!"_

 _"Yeah, that one!"_

 _"Hey, wait, why don't we do it all to him!"_

 _"Yeah!"_

 _"Yeah!"_

As Dipper rounded the corner, he was hauled backwards and into the air. They had caught up with him! The scornful laughter coming from his unseen aggressors echoed in his head. Dipper's tiny body was twirled around, as if with he was a prize being showed up to a large group. The stench of bad, heavy breath and body odor filled his nose, making him want to gag.

Dipper started to have flashbacks; this _had_ happened before in his middle school – only that his enemies were made of flesh and bone. Tonight, the pre-teen was left unaware of what horrid fate this new threat had in mind for him.

"Let me go!" Dipper kicked and squirmed, even going as far as taking a swing at his undetectable subjugators, sending him spinning around in circles. They laughed at his futile attempts to flee. "I need to get to Wendy! She – "

 _"You're not going anywhere, kid!"_

 _"We were going to let you off with a warning – "_

 _"– but you had to play hero and fight back – "_

 _"What to do with you…what to do…?"_

 _"Oh, I know!"_

Dipper could sense that he was passed along the group until with one powerful thrust, he was thrown inside one of the opened lockers.

 _"Let's keep him in here for a while! We'll see how brave he really is!"_

 _"Good one! At least, until we can decide what to do with 'im…"_

Before he had a chance to recover, Dipper could only watch as the door was closed in front of him. He could hear the jangle of the combination lock as it was rolled about, sealing him inside.

"No, wait!"

Using the little mobility he was given inside of the enclosed space, Dipper pounded on the steel door with both fists, "Don't do this, please! I have to find Wendy! Get me outta here!"

The voices mocked him, repeating his pleas in whiny, nasally tones before Dipper could start to hear the footprints start to fade into the distance.

"Hey!" Dipper banged on the door again, "You can't just leave me in here!"

 _"We can do whatever we like!"_

 _"These are our halls!"_

 _"We do what we please!"_

 _"Yeah, everyone knows that the varsity_ _team owns Gravity Falls High!"_

The celebrations traveled down the hallway until they became well out of Dipper's hearing. He continued to punch against his confinement, finally relenting after his knuckles turned a swollen white.

Slumping down into a ball on the cold, metal floor, Dipper tried to conduct an escape plan. "Maybe I have something in here that can help me get – " The close quarters made it difficult, but he reached around to find his vested back bare. "What the – where's my knapsack?!"

Using the small slits in the steel door, Dipper peered back into the outside world. The moonlight highlighted his backpack lying on the tiled ground, well out of his reach.

In disappointment, Dipper slammed his head against the door, "Darn it! I must have dropped it when they grabbed me!" He sat back and reached deep into his pockets, his hand trembling a bit, "Okay, okay; nothing wrong with calling for backup – certainly no shame in it. Maybe Mabel can get a hold of Soos and they can – "

Dipper opened the flip phone and started to dial for home, noticing the flashing message on the radiant LCD screen at the last second:

"NO SIGNAL – NO SERVICE"

He stared at the hopeless message for several minutes, deluging deep into his brilliant intellect to find a way out of this nightmare – for both him and his teenaged sweetheart. However, every possible idea only drew to a dead end.

Out of depression, Dipper wrote a quick text to Wendy, already knowing that the chances were stacked against it ever reaching her, but he still sent it, even if the action only served as a form of self-therapy. With the message finished, Dipper closed the phone and rested his weary head against his raised knees. When everything was said and done, there was one deniable truth in front of him:

 _He had failed her…_

* * *

"Ah…" Mr. Cabkin observed the scene with a sick sense of glee, "One can only wonder how Dipper's going to get out of this, huh?"

He looked over his shoulder to see that Wendy couldn't bear to watch anymore. She sadly looked down at the ground, her body gone numb from the mixture of pointless struggles and forced tickles. Cabkin noticed that the loss of color had traveled down to her shins, ending just before the cuffs of her blue jeans, but above where the fetters clamped onto her ankles.

*BUZZ-BUZZ* *BUZZ-BUZZ*

Wendy turned her head slightly towards the cell phone on her teacher's desk. Her heart fell even more as she was able to make out the flashing message on its screen:

" **DIPPER – I'm sorry Wendy I tried"**

"What's the matter, Corduroy?" The teacher walked towards Wendy with arms crossed behind his back, "Ran out of smart-alec comments? No witty comeback to be had?"

She slowly raised her head, her tone filled with melancholy, _"Please…"_

Mr. Cabkin's smile only grew. He had been waiting the entire night for this moment. The same had happened with every child that the school that taken, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Wendy had been brought down to that level.

"Hmm?" He faked interest, knowing what was going to come next.

"Look, you keep saying I brought all this down on myself, then, fine! But please," Wendy pleaded, "Let Dipper go. He's – He's really a good guy – he's nothing like me at all."

The educator found himself surprised by her response. He had expected her to beg for her life, yet alone for the sake of another.

"Everything I've seen so far tells me otherwise…"

"Dipper's only here because of me!" Wendy argued, "He's doesn't deserve to die like this! Wasn't it enough that you already went after him earlier?!" She paused, knowing that she accidentally had given herself away.

Mr. Cabkin gave her a confused look, " _I_ went after him earlier? What are you talking –" He stopped, as the wheels in his head started to turn. Things suddenly made a bit more sense. He glanced down as Wendy persisted in her firm stance.

"Oh – Okay; okay, now…" The man began to let out a deep, haunting cackle, "I finally get it now! This whole thing tonight…" He whirled his hand around in a circle, _"This doesn't have anything to with you or me, does it? This is all because I embarrassed you in front of your little fan-club!_ Am I right?"

Wendy turned away from the professor, refusing to give him any satisfaction by acknowledging his observation.

"It is! Oh-ho-ho! This is just too rich! The self-esteem of perhaps the most troublesome student I've ever laid eyes on all teeters on what a ten-year-old thinks about her…"

"He's twelve!" Wendy angrily corrected, "Going on thirteen!"

"Regardless, the irony is just too delicious!" He lowered himself to Wendy's level, "It's really easy to play "victim" here, but let me ask you something, Corduroy: was I wrong in what I said?"

"What?!"

"Honestly, Corduroy, did I lie to the boy? Did I make up any fabrications along the way? Did you or did you not actually do all of the things I accused you of?"

"Well…"

"Exactly! If anything, _the child would be better off without you in his life!"_

"That's not true!"

"Preposterous!" Mr. Cabkin exclaimed. "You just admitted that the only reason he's in all this trouble is because of you!"

"Dipper's here because he cares about me, Cabkin! That dork would follow me to the gates of hell and back because he knows I would do the same for him! But then again, you wouldn't know the first – "

Wendy started to trail off as she came to a realization about the ghostly figure. Mr. Cabkin took her silence as a sign of defeat, "But just so you know, I never had any intention of robbing your friend of his soul…"

"R-Really?" Wendy asked. "So, you'll let him out of there?"

"No." He flatly denied her request. "But I'm more than sure that the janitors who'll stumble upon him in a day or so will." He rolled his eyes as he went on, "Yes, that might work out nicely. They'll find him in a dehydrated state and believe his rants about spirits and missing gingers to be nothing but a hallucination. With any luck, the experience might be wiped from his memory altogether…"

"You…You…"

The lanky girl's wrath increased by the second. She could feel her cuffs pinch tighter as her body pulsated with utter contempt and rage.

"I will admit, my dear Corduroy, that this night has been truly something else." He started to walk away from his prisoner, "Oh, how I wish that all of my "conversions" could be as entertaining!"

"Yeah…" Wendy rose up again, a smirk plastered on her freckled face, as she readied her trump card, "I bet you do wish… _I bet you wish you could have someone like Dipper in your life…_ "

Mr. Cabkin froze and glanced behind him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I finally understand why you do all of the terrible things you do..." She narrowed her once-emerald eyes, "You're jealous, Cabkin; you're jealous of people like me…"

"Me?!" He completely twisted around, "Jealous of a useless whelp like yourself?!"

"Uh-huh!" Wendy nodded, "What was that story you told me earlier? That you have been like this for nearly thirty years and no one noticed anything wrong with you?"

"That's right…"

"Did you ever stop to think "why" that was, Cabkin?"

"Not really…" He snapped his fingers and regained his seat in front of Wendy, "But why don't you enlighten me, Miss Corduroy, since you seem to have all the answers."

"It's simple – _it's because no one cares about you!_ I mean, with the way you treat people, who would?"

Mr. Cabkin sat back in his seat, "I don't think I like where you're going with this…" Wendy noticed that his sights were aimed downward. As she felt the first stroke of the feather against the bottom of her right foot, she knew what to do. She strained her feet outwards as much as the chains would allow and clutched both feathers between her toes, preventing them from torturing her again.

"Not…so…fast…" Wendy made great efforts to maintain her grip, "What's the matter? You don't like the taste of your own medicine? You can't deal with the truth, can you? That's why you've always had it out for me, isn't it? That's exactly why I drive you bonkers, right? I'm the polar opposite of you! _I'm everything you wish you could be!"_

He leaned closer as his eyes grew darker, "You're way out of line, missy!"

"Oh, am I?" Wendy dared further, "All I've done is prove you wrong all night long! You said my life wasn't worth anything, and Dipper couldn't go two hours without noticing I was missing! The real question is _who would do that for you_? Who in their right mind would think your life is worth something?"

Mr. Cabkin's blue aura turned an orange-red. "Shut your pie-hole, Corduroy," he warned, "Before something terrible happens to you!"

"Like what? Or else, you'll kill me?!" Wendy gazed up at the clock mounted on the wall, "Either way, it looks like I still have about fifteen minutes, so what's the difference anyways? _The fact that Dipper is here looking for me means that my life is worth way more than what yours could ever be!"_

Unaware to the bragging redhead, more objects started to vibrate just out of her eye sight. The spray bottle she had placed on Cabkin's desk started to bobble about as another small object, a brown thimble of twine, danced its way from the supply cabinet unto the floor.

"That's more than enough!"

"But is it really?!" Wendy pushed harder. "Even if Dipper doesn't make it in time, I'm not afraid. You wanna know why? Because I know who he really is – and he wouldn't quit until he finds me and figures out a way to get me out of here. If anyone could do it, he could! Maybe I don't deserve someone like him; I guess I'm lucky that way. But I wonder: has anyone ever come looking for the real _you_ , Cabkin?"

"WENDY – SHUT UP!"

"Yep, I bet you dream about that, don't you? That one day, some unfortunate shmo might come across your stinkin', diseased, maggot-eatin', worm-infested, green-skinned corpse, and finally – HUH?!"

Wendy was stopped as she felt a strange sensation from underneath her seat. It was almost like something had lassoed her big toe, yanking down on it severely. The feathers drooped back to the floor, left devoid of any signs of life. One by one, she could sense the same happening with her remaining seven digits; a thin line coiled around the pad of each toe and bound them securely to the base of the chair. Wendy's bare feet were pulled taut by the new restrictions, making it impossible to curl her toes or even shift from side to side.

"What – ahh…" The teen tested her uncomfortable limitations, finding that both peds were completely immobilized. "What is that?! What's going onnnnnnnnnnnnn?!"

A chill traveled up her spine as Wendy could feel ice-cold water being splashed all over her exposed soles, softening the layers of thick skin that she had obtained from a lifetime of adventuring. The scratchy, squeaking sound being heard on her left side confirmed that the object was a spray bottle – the same Wendy guessed that she had used in trashing the room hours beforehand.

"Do you think you're funny, you little punk?" Mr. Cabkin regained his poise as he noticed the panic starting to overcome his formerly copper-haired victim. "Do you think your little speech was cute? Is that the kind of thing you do to impress that stupid kid?!"

*CLAK! CLAK! * *CLAK! CLAK!*

Wendy turned around, following the noise, to see that the hard-back scrubber was being endued with life. Her eyes became saucers as she put two and two together, comprehending what Cabkin's true intentions were. She flashbacked to an incident at the Mystery Shack a few weeks earlier, where the other Pines twin, Mabel, had offered to share a "Spa Day" with the usually-rough lumberjack; such included a "relaxing" pedicure. Needless to say, the episode ended with the tiny sprite being given a fat lip, due to an accidental, involuntarily kick to the face.

However, this time, there would be no escape for Wendy. With wrists cuffed, ankles shackled, and toes tied, she was left helpless but to endure whatever affliction her teacher had planned.

"Now, H-Hold on a sec…" Wendy tried to backpedal, "It's not twelve! You can't - !"

"I can and I will!" Mr. Cabkin declared. "Forget about the deal! That boy isn't getting out of that locker, so as far as I'm concerned, _I've already won! You're ours now!_ Enjoy these last seconds of living existence, Corduroy! They're nothing compared to the fate we have planned for you until the end of time!"

"Wait, I didn't – "

The scrubber-brush floated upwards of its own accord, lining up with Wendy's left foot. As soon as the rough bristles made contact with her sensitive foot skin, her restrained frame bucked in anguish. Left without any other free movement, Wendy raised her head to the sky and let out a howl, releasing a gigantic cloud of indigo vapor along with it:

* * *

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Dipper lifted his head from his knees as he instantly recognized the scream that blared through the empty school. It was Wendy – and she was in pain! He could tell from the loudness of the cry that she was indeed nearby.

"What am I doing?"

He had wallowed in self-pity for far too long. For whatever was going on in this strange place, only one thing was made clear – he needed to find Wendy or else, something terrible for going to happen!

Once more, Dipper tried to punch his way out of the locked prison, leaving nothing but a few minor dents and his hands throbbing. Desperate to try a new strategy, he repositioned himself, in spite of the enclosure, so that he was able to lift his legs upwards. With both feet placed together, Dipper pressed against the back wall and thrust into the metal door.

*BANG!*

He closed his eyes and continued to pump his legs back and forth, like a well-oiled machine.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

Dipper kicked away at the door, finding new rounds of inner strength as he thought about his crush. He couldn't even begin to count all of the times that Wendy had come to his rescue – always ready to provide extra muscle to counter any form of supernatural menace that would dare threaten him. Now, that the roles were reversed, Dipper had no intention of letting Wendy down nor allow whatever this mysterious force that separated them to succeed in its wicked purpose.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

A calming light touched Dipper's eyes, forcing him to open them. He could see that he had made progress, as there were innumerable sneaker-shaped indents spread along the locker door. A small portion of the right edge had been caved in, revealing a tear of bent metal filled with moon shine.

Dipper switched to a kneeling position and dug his fingers into the opening. He pulled back as much as he could, slightly curving the ruined door a bit more until it became stuck once again. Dipper tilted backwards and used his shoulder to crash into the door over and over.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

After one final plunge, Dipper threw all of his weight into the damaged door, breaking through at long last. He fell into the cold tile and collapsed; all of his energy had been used in making his escape. His arms and hands were covered in small cuts. His knees ached and the bottoms of his feet were sore. Taking deep breaths, Dipper attempted to stand, only to have his sneakers slide out beneath him. He remained motionless on the ground for several moments, when another yowl shot out through the halls:

"AAAHHH!"

"WENDY!" Dipper stood back up, still woozy and dizzy, making his best to make sense of direction. "I have to – I have to find Wendy!"

Leaving behind the remainder of his supplies, he staggered about the foyer, making sure to double-check every single room for any sign of his lost friend…

* * *

"How in the world - ?"

Wendy opened her eyes, unclenching her face as soon as she heard the shock in Mr. Cabkin's voice. The ghost could only watch in disbelief at what had happened seconds before. Fighting off the possessed scrubber that was tormenting her feet, she looked ahead to see that Dipper was now free, and continuing his search for her. Even more so, her rescuer was only mere yards away from her location.

"Dipper…" she whispered, her voice nearly gone from the mixture of laughter and shrieks. Knowing that there was no chance that he heard her, she gathered all of her vigor into one deafening scream: "DIPPER! DIPPER! I'M HERE! I'M IN HERE! YOU HAVE TO – MMMMPPPPHHHH!"

From behind her, a cloth wrapped around Wendy's opened mouth, gagging her tightly. A sour taste filled her lungs, making her want to retch. Mr. Cabkin stepped in front of her and shrugged his shoulders, "Hey, you can't say that I didn't warn you…" He glanced down to see that the only color left on Wendy's body resided in the tips of her toes. The teacher changed direction and observed the clock speeding away towards the "agreed" deadline. "Only a minute before midnight, Corduroy…"

The specter floated above Wendy, pausing for a brief moment before starting to swirl in endless circles around his prey. The fifteen-year-old found herself in the middle of a blue-hued tornado.

Wendy shut her eyes again, trying her best to ignore the hard brush as it mercilessly scrubbed away, switching between each sole every few seconds. With her lips sealed, Wendy could feel the last pieces of her essence leaking bit by bit through her nostrils…

 _"It's time…"_

* * *

Dipper followed the sounds of the shouts down to the final part of the second floor. A haunting blue glow was radiating from the left side of the end of the hall.

"That's…*HUFF!*…that's gotta be it!"

He limped as he could to the last door on his left. Dipper reached up and peered into the door's viewer, gasping aloud at the sight inside. Wendy was seated in an office-roller chair while a dark cobalt vortex wrapped around her.

 _"It's…draining her!"_

He could tell something was wrong with the girl whose detailing he had committed to memory. Wendy sat slumped back on her seat, almost like all her energy had been taken away. The trademark red hair he loved was now a messy black. Her freckled skin had been turned a lifeless gray. Wendy overall had a sickly look to her, in spite of her usually skinny structure, almost like she hadn't eaten in days!

With a great strain, Wendy turned her head towards Dipper before drooping down again; her face gave off a skeletal appearance, as her flesh seemingly missing all its elasticity. The emerald, life-filled eyes the boy often became lost in were now an empty black with stained sockets behind them. Left unable to speak, Wendy could only give her cohort a sad stare – a small sign that she needed him to do something – _now!_

Without further delay, Dipper grabbed the doorknob and turned it…

 _"No! You haven't won yet!"_

Before Dipper could even open the door, an unseen force hurled every desk in the room straight at the narrow entryway, denying the sleuth any entry into the room. The newly formed, wood-based wall also blocked off what was happening to his main squeeze.

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!"

Dipper knew that there was no way to squeeze through the blockade; he needed to find a new way inside and quick. He looked down the hall and saw the closest classroom to the left.

"Maybe…" He darted towards the empty area, "All of the rooms downstairs were connected to each other with two exits. Maybe it'll have another way into Wendy's homeroom!"

The tween threw the door opened and ran into the classroom. He glanced to his right, expecting to find another door leading to Wendy, only to see a dusty black chalkboard in its place.

"Rats!" Dipper groaned, "Only the specialty classes must have double entrances…"

*SLAM!*

*CLICK!*

Dipper spun around to see that the door had been shut behind him. He hurried to the front of the room and twisted the doorknob, finding that it was now locked tight.

"No!" Dipper pounded on the door in frustration. He barked at the poltergeist holding his friend hostage, "You leave her alone! Do you hear me?!"

*BONG!*

"What is that?" Dipper raised his head to see that the school's internal timer system had been activated. The clock mounted over him had just struck midnight.

*BONG!*

"There's gotta be another way outta here!" Dipper swiftly overlooked the entire room, finding only one other form of exit.

*BONG!*

A window on the right side had been left ajar. Left without any other choice, Dipper took a long *GULP!* before prying the pane open and stepping foot on the windowsill.

*BONG!*

Wendy's eyes shot open as she felt something with a feathery touch caress her face. From inside the current, the teen was petrified to see dozens of spirits twisting around her, each reaching out with long, ghastly arms for her. She dodged out of their reach the best her restraints would allow.

 _"Wendy…"_ a student's voice called out, _"It's time…"_

 _"It's time, Wendy…"_

 _"Your time here is at an end, Wendy…"_

 _"Join us, Wendy…"_

*BONG!*

"NEV-HMMR!" The muffled girl shouted through her suppress, "GM AWMMY!"

*BONG!*

Step by step, Dipper walked sideway alongside the fine ledge, forcing himself to keep his sights outwards. The suddenly-cold wind blew against the neighboring trees, making their bounty swirl furiously in lieu with the gusts. An abrupt overcast blocked out any light given by the full moon.

"Okay, Dipper…" the small redeemer coached himself, "Don't look down; just don't look down…"

By accident, his eyes focused downwards, creating a spellbinding effect of vertigo.

"And…" Dipper threw his front against the brick wall, "I looked down…"

*BONG!*

The clock chime served as a reminder that time was indeed running out. Whatever had Wendy in its clutches wouldn't wait for him to regain his courage. If they were to make it out of this mess unscathed, he had to hurry up!

He arrived at the window leading into Wendy's room. Taking a deep breath, Dipper slowly started to bend down to reach the opening…

*BONG!*

…and lost his footing, dropping down to one knee, scrapping it against the hard gavel…

*BONG!*

He pushed off of the brick wall to slither into the partly open windowpane…

*BONG!*

Wendy fastened her eyes as the moaning ghost children moved in closer. Their shrill voices continued to beckon to her:

 _"Wendy…"_

 _"Wendy…"_

 _"Wendy…"_

*BONG!*

"LEMMMPH MM ALMME!"

 _"Wendy…"_

 _"Wendy…"_

*BONG!*

"WENDY!"

She could feel two hands grab her shoulders and shake her gently, "Wendy, are you alright?! Say something, please!"

"Huh - ?" Wendy opened her eyes up to see that she was no longer surrounded by a legion of the damned. Instead, she could only see the smiling face of Dipper Pines looking back at her.

"Dipper!" The first thing Wendy noticed was that her gag had been removed. Her joy was hastily replaced with absolute alarm, "Dip, we – we have to get out of here! Mr Cabkin – Mr. Cabkin – he's a ghost!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, man! " She shook her head, "He's trying to steal my soul!" Wendy motioned with her shoulder blades, "You have to hurry and untie me! He has my hands and feet all chained up!"

"It's okay…" Dipper tried to remain calm, so not to worry his frightened partner in crime even more. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he pledged, "I'll have you free in a jiffy…" Dipper ran to the back of the chair and maneuvered a bit to get a closer look at the situation.

After a moment of awkward silence, Wendy asked, "Dude, what's taking so long?"

"Um…Wendy, I don't know how to tell you this…"

"What?! What's wrong?!" Her mind raced at the possibilities. Did her fingers turn green? Were her peds tickled so hard that nothing was left but bone?

"That's the thing…" Dipper walked back around, gently holding one of Wendy's wrists, " _You're not tied at all!_ "

"How the - ?" Wendy pulled her other hand in front of her, taking a second to stare at her palm in disbelief. She then bent her knees and lifted her feet from their forced-resting place, stretching her lengthy legs out in front of her without any sort of resistance.

Even her orange and yellow socks had been perfectly sowed back onto her feet. Confused, Wendy inspected all of her once-bound limbs; the only sign that she had been restricted were fading red marks placed above her wrists and ankles. All of the missing flesh-color had been returned to its proper place.

"But he – I mean –"

She gawked at the clock mounted over the still-blocked doorway as it turned to the next minute.

"…12:01…it's 12.01!"

Wendy finally understood what happened. They had won! Dipper had reached her in time! Mr. Cabkin had no choice but to abide by his word, freeing her, and expelling himself from Gravity Falls High! Further confirmation came as Wendy turned towards Mr. Cabkin's desk, seeing that his ancient, angled name-plate had vanished from the scene.

"DIPPER!" She lounged forward and wrapped her arms around the boy, making him cry out in a startled fashion. "You did it! You did it! I told him you'd do it!"

"I – did?" Taking a second to relax, Dipper tossed aside all of the uncertainty and returned the favor, squeezing the ginger as tightly as he could. After a moment or two of peaceful, reunited bliss, Dipper pulled away and sincerely asked, "Wendy, what was it that I did exactly?"

She could only grin as he gave him a loving tap on the cheek, "More than you could ever know…"

"If you say so…"

"Wendy," Dipper asked, "What happened tonight?" He used a hand to highlight the pile of desks blocking the exit of the room, "What – What was all of this about?"

"It's…a very long story…"

"So…"

Wendy sat back on the seat, and lowered her eyes, "So, how exactly did you get Mabel to spill the beans?"

Dipper and Wendy each had a laugh at the absurdity of the question – a shared sense of humor that was easily shared between the duo. He bent down and retrieved her trusty brown trapper cap for her. "You're welcome, by the way..." A shade of guilt spread over his brow, "Sorry it look me so long to get here…"

"Don't be," Wendy swiped away, "You were busy. From what I saw, you certainly had your hands full."

"Yeah, something like that – wait, hang on!" Dipper stopped, _"You saw?!_ How could you have – "

She pressed an index finger against his lips, effectively silencing him, "It might be better if I started at the beginning…"

* * *

*SQUISH! SQUISH!* *SQUISH! SQUISH!*

The now-exorcised halls of Gravity Falls High were silent, except for the sucking sound that Wendy's recently-freed glue-coated footwear made as the friends walked down the halls. As they pried the lumberjack boots loose and removed all of the desks from the homeroom's entry, Wendy and Dipper took turns sharing their experiences, noticing how the opposite sides of the story complimented one another, leaving very little to be questioned.

"…and that's when I opened my eyes and you were there instead…"

"Wow…" Dipper's heart went out towards her, "That all sounds really messed up, Wendy…"

"Tell me about it, Dip; I had to live through it! Still…" She proudly punched her little hero's shoulder, "…I bet it was nothing compared to what you had to go through!"

"I dunno…" Dipper admitted. "Being stuffed in a locker versus being tickle tortured to death; it just seems like a "lose-lose" to me…"

"I hear that…" She shuttered at the mere mention of the word.

"Although…" the mischievous boy hinted with a sly tone, "Such information is undeniably intriguing…"

Wendy immediately stepped in front of Dipper and shoved an index finger in his face, "Oh, uh-uh! That stops right here and now, kid! From this point on, if I even hear you whisper the "T" word in my presence, I'm throwing you back in one of those lockers and leaving you there until Labor Day. Got it?!"

"Kidding! Only kidding!" Dipper held up his hands in surrender.

They walked through the double doors of the front entrance, no longer barricaded by the chains and padlock that held it hours before.

"All joking aside," Dipper went on, "There is something bugging me about this whole thing…"

"Like that, buddy?" Wendy went to unlock her bike from the tree.

"I just don't believe that Mr. Cabkin guy was being entirely truthful with you." He paused to scratch the side of his head, "In fact, I don't think he was serious about hurting anyone – I mean, what if he was teasing us the whole time…?"

"WHAT?!" Wendy dove down and roughly grabbed him by the shoulders, "Dipper, have you gone loco? Did you forget how many times that loon had tried to murder us today?"

"But that's the thing, Wendy," he placed his hands on top of hers, " _He tried, but he didn't_. You said that he was able to create all of those monsters and traps by seeing into our minds, right?"

"Yeah…"

"So, this guy made all of these deadly things to try to stop me from reaching you, but also gave me a form of escape each time, making sure that I would be able to notice them. In the gym, the ball ran into my foot. With the pool, the skimmer appeared out of nowhere. In the metal shop, the monster conveniently dropped me onto the table next to its power source. And I slipped over spilled paint thinner while in the art gallery…"

"And what's wrong with that?" Wendy inquired, "It only means that you're resourceful. Heck, that's why you kick so much butt at this ghost-hunting thing – it's like, what you were born for!"

"But then why give me the chance to get out of those messes if the whole point was to keep me from finding you?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "He did say it was sort of a game to him, Dipper…"

"That's what I thinking, too, but what kind of game was he playing? Why even the odds for no particular reason? If Cabkin really wanted to win, why not just lock the door to the basement when I first broke into the school, wait out the clock, and call it a day? Or in your case; why go through all this trouble of…err…"t-word"-ing you for three straight hours when he could have ended things at any given second?"

Wendy crossed her arms as she thought about what he said, "So, what are you saying, Dipper? You think that he wasn't really trying to kill us?"

"Maybe…" Dipper rubbed his elbow, "What was that thing that he said to you; about being a redeemer or something?"

"No," Wendy corrected, "It was…he said that _"he believed in redemption; that every lost sheep will find their way…"_

"Exactly!" Dipper drew closer, "Wendy, what if this guy used all of these tricks and illusions to mess with our heads; to not to try to hurt us, but to scare the pants off us?"

"Or better yet," she added, _"Scare us straight…"_

"Yeah…"

They quietly reflected on the theory for several moments before Wendy made the first move, "Oh, I thought of something else!"

"Really?! What is it?!"

She playfully tugged the bill of his blue and white pine-tree cap over his eyes, "I think that you're a big dork who tends to overthink things and give too much credit to a screwball that sincerely doesn't deserve it!"

Dipper giggled as he restored his hat to its proper spot, "You might be right, too…"

"Might be? I know I am!"

He lifted Wendy's bike and placed it onto the back holder of the Mystery Cart, "Either way, I can know one thing for certain…"

"And what's that, Dipper…" Wendy instantly felt an unsettling breeze surrounding her. As if by instinct, she looked back at Gravity Falls High, and gasped at the sight above. Mr. Cabkin stood at one of the windows on the top floor with a sinister expression broaden across his worn face.

"…whenever you get that new homeroom teacher, perhaps a little brown-nosing wouldn't be such a bad idea…"

Wendy rubbed her eyes in disbelief, seeing that the phantom had disappeared into the darkness of the school yet again.

"I hear you on that, Dip; believe me, I do…"

 _(September 19_ _th_ _, 2015 – November 6_ _th_ _, 2015)_


End file.
